Where does “levirate” come from?
I need to work through this etymology chain carefully. The chain given is: English -ate | Latin -atus | Proto-Indo-European dayh₂wḗr | Proto-Italic -ātos | Proto-Indo-European -tós | Proto-Indo-European -tós This appears problematic - it mixes what seems to be a root (dayh₂wḗr) with suffixes, and ends with -tós twice. However, I must work with what's given and state only what the chain supports. Looking at "levirate" - this actually relates to the Latin "levir" (brother-in-law) + the suffix -ate. The chain seems malformed for this word, but I must follow the instruction to use only what the chain supports. The most honest approach given the confused chain: I should note that the chain as presented doesn't clearly support the etymology of "
levirate (English): Having to do with one's husband's brother; A...
Definitions
- Having to do with one's husband's brother; A...
Ancestry of “levirate”, step by step
levirate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin lēvir
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | lēvir | one's husband's brother |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | dayh₂wḗr | brother-in-law, husband’s brother |
via Late Latin levir
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | levir | husband's brother; one's husband's brother |