Where does “caving” come from?
Caving derives from the English verb cave, which comes from Latin cava (hollow place), the feminine form of Latin cavus (hollow), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- (to swell or hollow out).
caving (English): The recreational sport of exploring caves; An act...
Definitions
- The recreational sport of exploring caves; An act...
Ancestry of “caving”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cave | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed... |
| 2 | Middle English | cave | A cave or cavern |
| 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 |