Where does “lichen” come from?
Lichen comes from Latin lichen, from Ancient Greek λειχήν, derived from the verb λείχω meaning "to lick," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leyǵʰ-.
lichen (English): Any of many symbiotic organisms, being...
Definitions
- Any of many symbiotic organisms, being...
Ancestry of “lichen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | līchēn | a cryptogamic species of vegetation growing on trees, lichen |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | λειχήν | Liverwort; Lichen-like disease affecting the skin... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | λείχω | to lick up |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | leyǵʰ- | to lick |
Words derived from “lichen”