Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “larva” come from?

Larva comes from Latin larva, derived from Latin Lar, a household god in Roman religion whose mask-like appearance inspired the term for a ghostly or masked figure.

larva (English): An early stage of growth for some insects and...

Definitions

  1. An early stage of growth for some insects and...

Ancestry of “larva”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlarvaghost, haunt, evil spirit, demon, devil;...
2Old Latinlaruademon, spirit of the dead

Words derived from “larva”

  • larvae
  • larvicide
  • larvicidal
  • larvivorous
  • larviciding
  • larviform
  • larviparous
  • larvacide
  • postlarva
  • prolarva
  • biolarvicidal
  • biolarvicide
  • larvagenesis
  • paralarva
  • macrolarviparous
Every word from Old Latin larua →