Where does “cavernal” come from?
cavernal (English) comes from English cavern, from Middle English caverne, from Middle French caverne, from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna, from Latin cavus, from Proto-Italic kawos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱowh₁ós — to swell; to be strong.
Ancestry of “cavernal”, step by step
cavernal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cavern
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cavern | A large cave; An underground chamber; To form a... |
| 2 | Middle English | caverne | cavern, cave |
| 3 | Middle French | caverne | cavern |
| 4 | Old French | caverne | — |
| 5 | Latin | caverna | cave, cavern, grotto; vault, chamber, cleft; hold |
| 6 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |