Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dental” come from?

Dental comes from Middle French dental, with the original meaning and ultimate origin in earlier languages not currently established.

dental (English): Of or concerning the teeth, as in "dental care";...

Definitions

  1. Of or concerning the teeth, as in "dental care";...

Ancestry of “dental”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdental—
2Latindentālis—
3Latindēns—
4Italiandentetooth; cog, prong
5Latindenstooth; a spike, prong, or any tooth-like...
6Proto-Italicdentstooth
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

Words derived from “dental”

  • interdental
  • dentally
  • labiodental
  • craniodental
  • atlantodental
  • predental
  • nondental
  • interdentally
  • paradental
  • peridental
  • bidental
  • dentalism
  • dentalcare
  • dentality
  • apicodental
  • maxillodental
  • labiodentalization
  • addental
  • gingivodental
  • dental floss
  • craniodentally
  • labiodentally
  • linguo-dental
  • teledental
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- →