Where does “fossil” come from?
Fossil comes from French fossile, from Latin fossilis meaning "dug up," derived from fossa "ditch," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰod- meaning "to dig."
fossil (English): The mineralized remains of an animal or plant;...
Definitions
- The mineralized remains of an animal or plant;...
Ancestry of “fossil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | fossile | fossil |
| 2 | Latin | fossilis | Retrieved from the earth, dug out, dug up,... |
| 3 | Latin | fossa | ditch, trench, moat; gutter, waterway; grave |
| 4 | Latin | fodiō | to dig, dig up, dig out; to bury; to dig or clear out the earth from a place; to mine, quarry |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰod- | to pierce, dig |