Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “membrane” come from?

Membrane comes from Latin membrana, a derivative of Latin membrum meaning limb or member, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mems- or related roots in the me-ms- family.

membrane (English): A flexible enclosing or separating tissue forming...

Definitions

  1. A flexible enclosing or separating tissue forming...

Ancestry of “membrane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmembrāna—
2Latinmembrumlimb of the body; member; the penis; a portion,...
3Proto-Italicmemzrom—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmḗmsflesh, meat
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmems-flesh, meat
6Proto-Indo-Europeanme-ms-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmes-—

Words derived from “membrane”

  • transmembrane
  • brane
  • intermembrane
  • pseudomembranous
  • geomembrane
  • pseudomembrane
  • biomembrane
  • endomembrane
  • intramembrane
  • juxtamembrane
  • membranophone
  • braneworld
  • membraned
  • submembrane
  • nonmembrane
  • membraniform
  • membranelike
  • membraneless
  • membranal
  • multimembrane
  • micromembrane
  • extramembrane
  • premembrane
  • transmembranal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mes- →