Where does “cavewoman” come from?
cavewoman (English) comes from English cave, from Middle English cave, from Old French cave, from Latin cava, from Latin cavus, from Proto-Italic kawos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱowh₁ós, from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- — to swell; to be strong.
cavewoman (English): A female cave dweller
Ancestry of “cavewoman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cave | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed... |
| 2 | Middle English | cave | — |
| 3 | Old French | cave | — |
| 4 | Latin | cava | nominative feminine singular of cavus; nominative... |
| 5 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |