Where does “hermaphrodite” come from?
Hermaphrodite comes from Ancient Greek Ἑρμαφρόδιτος, blending the god Ἑρμῆς with a feminine form, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots.
hermaphrodite (English): An individual or organism possessing ambiguous...
Definitions
- An individual or organism possessing ambiguous...
Ancestry of “hermaphrodite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hermaphroditus | The son of Hermes and Aphrodite who merged bodies with a naiad |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Ἑρμαφρόδιτος | Hermaphroditus |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -ός | Forms agentive or patientive adjectives and nouns from the o-grade of a verbal root |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | *-os | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -ós | Creates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting... |