Where does “circus” come from?
Circus comes from Latin circus, derived from Proto-Indo-European sker-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek-, meaning to cut or separate.
circus (English): A traveling company of performers that may...
Definitions
- A traveling company of performers that may...
Ancestry of “circus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | circus | — |
| 2 | Latin | circus | a circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κρίκος | ring |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |
Words derived from “circus”