Where does “herp” come from?
herp (English) comes from English herpetology, from French herpétologie, from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν, from Ancient Greek ἕρπω, from Proto-Indo-European *sérpeti — to be creeping, to be crawling.
herp (English): A reptile or amphibian
Definitions
- A reptile or amphibian
Ancestry of “herp”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | herpetology | The branch of biology dealing with reptiles and... |
| 2 | French | herpétologie | herpetology |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἑρπετόν | Any animal which walks on four legs; creeping... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἕρπω | to move slowly, walk; crawl, creep, slink; I go... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *sérpeti | to be creeping, to be crawling |