Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “civil war” come from?

civil war (English) comes from Latin bellum civile, from Latin bellum, from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

civil war (English): A war fought between factions of the inhabitants...

Definitions

  1. A war fought between factions of the inhabitants...

Ancestry of “civil war”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbellum civilecivil war
2Latinbellumwar; nominative neuter singular of bellus;...
3Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
4Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
5LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “civil war”

  • Civil War
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →