Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dorsal” come from?

Dorsal comes from Middle English dorsal, from Medieval Latin dorsalis, from Latin dorsum meaning "back," ultimately from Proto-Italic dorsom.

dorsal (English): With respect to, or concerning the side in which...

Definitions

  1. With respect to, or concerning the side in which...

Ancestry of “dorsal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdorsal—
2Medieval Latindorsalisof or relating to the back; dorsal; of or...
3Latindorsumback, part of the body between the neck and...
4Proto-Italicdorsom—

Words derived from “dorsal”

  • dorsally
  • thoracodorsal
  • mediodorsal
  • laterodorsal
  • ventrodorsal
  • middorsal
  • lumbodorsal
  • subdorsal
  • anterodorsal
  • posterodorsal
  • cervicodorsal
  • predorsal
  • caudodorsal
  • anterodorsally
  • craniodorsal
  • dorsalmost
  • rostrodorsal
  • posterodorsally
  • caudodorsally
  • dorsalization
  • mediodorsally
  • craniodorsally
  • laterodorsally
  • proximodorsal
Every word from Proto-Italic dorsom →