Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intercultural” come from?

Intercultural derives from English cultural, which comes from English culture, ultimately tracing to Latin cultura (tilling, cultivation) and Latin colo (to till, inhabit), both rooted in Proto-Indo-European kʷel- (to revolve, move around).

intercultural (English): of, relating to, or between different cultures

Definitions

  1. of, relating to, or between different cultures

Ancestry of “intercultural”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishculturalPertaining to culture
2EnglishcultureThe arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and...
3Middle Frenchculturecultivation; culture
4Latincultūra—
5Latincultustilled, cultivated, having been cultivated;...
6Latincoleresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7LatincoloI till, cultivate the land; I inhabit; I protect,...
8Latinquelo—
9Proto-Italickʷelō—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
11Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “intercultural”

  • interculturalism
  • interculturally
  • interculturalist
  • interculturalize
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →