Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hetero” come from?

Hetero comes from the English prefix hetero-, which derives from Ancient Greek ἕτερος (heteros), meaning "other" or "different," from Proto-Hellenic hə́teros.

hetero (English): Heterosexual: of, pertaining to, or being a...

Definitions

  1. Heterosexual: of, pertaining to, or being a...

Ancestry of “hetero”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishheterosexualSexually attracted to members of the opposite...
2English-sexualForms a noun or adjective describing a state or...
3EnglishsexualArising from the fact of being male or female;...
4Latinsexuālis—
5Latinsexusdivision; sex; gender
6Proto-Italicseksus—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanséksus—
8Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “hetero”

  • hetro
  • heterofriendly
  • heterochlamydeous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →