Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coliform” come from?

Coliform derives from English colon and English -form, itself from Latin colo and Ancient Greek μορφή, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-.

coliform (English): Of or pertaining to the bacteria that inhabit the...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to the bacteria that inhabit the...

Ancestry of “coliform”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-iformAlternative form of -form
2English-formHaving the shape or form of; looking like;...
3EnglishformicOf or pertaining to ants; Of, pertaining to or...
4Frenchformiqueformic
5French-iqueUsed to form adjectives from nouns: -ic, -ical,...
6Middle French-ique—
7Old French-ique-ic
8Latin-icusbelonging to; derived from; of or pertaining to;...
9Proto-Italic*-ikos—
Every word from Proto-Italic *-ikos →