Where does “lactating” come from?
Lactating derives from English lactate, from Latin lacto (to suckle), from Latin lac (milk), from Proto-Indo-European ǵlákts (milk), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root ǵelh₂- meaning to suckle or milk.
lactating (English): present participle of lactate
Definitions
- present participle of lactate
Ancestry of “lactating”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lactate | To secrete or produce milk; Any salt or ester of... |
| 2 | English | -ate | having the specified thing; characterized by the... |
| 3 | English | -cy | Used to form nouns of state, condition or quality... |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | -cie | — |
| 5 | Latin | -tia | office, rank |
| 6 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 7 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |