Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “foraminifer” come from?

foraminifer (English) comes from French foraminifère, from Latin -fer, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

foraminifer (English): Any of several large aquatic amoeboid protists,...

Definitions

  1. Any of several large aquatic amoeboid protists,...

Ancestry of “foraminifer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchforaminifère—
2Latin-fer-bearing, -carrying, -bringing
3Latinferō—
4Proto-Italicferōcarry, bear
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “foraminifer”

  • foraminiferal
  • foraminiferan
  • foraminiferology
  • foraminiferological
  • foraminiferologist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →