Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “limbic” come from?

Limbic comes from French limbique, from Latin limbus meaning border or edge, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ-.

limbic (English): Relating to the limbic system

Definitions

  1. Relating to the limbic system

Ancestry of “limbic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlimbiquelimbic
2LatinlimbusA border, edge; hem, fringe, tassel
3Proto-Indo-European(s)lembʰ-to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply

Words derived from “limbic”

  • mesolimbic
  • paralimbic
  • mesocorticolimbic
  • prelimbic
  • corticolimbic
  • infralimbic
  • nonlimbic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ- →