Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “excavate” come from?

Excavate comes from Latin excavatus, the past participle of excavare, meaning to hollow out, from ex- (out) and cavare (to hollow), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- (to swell or hollow).

excavate (English): To make a hole in ; to hollow; To remove part of ...

Definitions

  1. To make a hole in ; to hollow; To remove part of ...

Ancestry of “excavate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinexcavātus—
2Latinexcavō—
3LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
4Latincommūnicō—
5Latincommūnis—
6Old Latincom(m)oinis—
7Proto-Italickommoinis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “excavate”

  • excavator
  • excavatable
  • spoon excavator
  • excavateur
  • ekskavator
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →