Where does “cancellous” come from?
Cancellous derives from Latin cancellus, from Latin cancer meaning crab or creeping creature, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- meaning to cut or scratch.
cancellous (English): Having low density and strength but high surface...
Definitions
- Having low density and strength but high surface...
Ancestry of “cancellous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | cancellus | one of the bars which, in the form of a grid,... |
| 2 | Latin | cancer | a crab; a tumor, cancer; a lattice, grid, or... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | kankros | crab |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | karkros | enclosure, barrier |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥-kr̥- | circular |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |