Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “evolve” come from?

Evolve comes from Latin evolvo, formed from ex- meaning "out" and volvere meaning "to roll," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European eǵ- meaning "to drive or move."

evolve (English): To move in regular procession through a system;...

Definitions

  1. To move in regular procession through a system;...

Ancestry of “evolve”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinēvolvō—
2Latinvolvō—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-—

Words derived from “evolve”

  • evolvement
  • evolvability
  • evolvable
  • coevolve
  • evolver
  • reevolve
  • unevolvable
  • evolveth
  • evolvest
  • co-evolve
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →