Where does “mammalian” come from?
Mammalian comes from English mammal plus the Latin suffix -ianus, derived from Latin -ius, -um, and -us, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European -yós and Proto-Italic -os to Proto-Indo-European -ós.
mammalian (English): of, or pertaining to, mammals; like a mammal; Any...
Definitions
- of, or pertaining to, mammals; like a mammal; Any...
Ancestry of “mammalian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mammal | An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by... |
| 2 | Latin | Mammalia | — |
| 3 | Latin | mammalis | Of or for the breasts |
| 4 | Latin | mamma | a breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug |
| 5 | Latin | ferō | to bear; to carry |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | ferō | carry, bear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |