Where does “mammal” come from?

mammal (English) comes from Latin Mammalia, from Latin mammalis, from Latin mamma, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

mammal (English): An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by...

Definitions

  1. An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by...

Ancestry of “mammal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinMammalia—
2LatinmammalisOf or for the breasts
3Latinmammaa breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug
4Latinferōto bear; to carry
5Proto-Italicferōcarry, bear
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “mammal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti →Every word from Proto-Italic ferō →