Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coronavirus” come from?

Coronavirus derives from English virus combined with Latin corōna, which comes from Ancient Greek κορώνη, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- meaning to turn or bend.

coronavirus (English): A member of the family Coronaviridaews,...

Definitions

  1. A member of the family Coronaviridaews,...

Ancestry of “coronavirus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcoronaThe luminous plasma atmosphere of the Sun or...
2Italiancoronacrown; coronet; wreath, chaplet
3Latincorōna—
4Spanish-illaAdded to feminine nouns to denote a diminutive...
5Old Spanish-iellaA diminutive suffix
6Latin-ellainflection of -ellus: ## nominative/vocative...
7Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
8Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
9Proto-Italic-olos—
10Proto-Italic-elos—
11Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
12Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “coronavirus”

  • coronavirus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →