Where does “meteorite” come from?
Meteorite comes from English meteor combined with the French suffix -ite, from Latin meteorum, from Ancient Greek -ίτης and μετέωρος meaning lofty or raised high, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning beyond and raised.
meteorite (English): A metallic or stony object or body that is the...
Definitions
- A metallic or stony object or body that is the...
Ancestry of “meteorite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ite | Used to form nouns denoting followers or... |
| 2 | French | -ité | Alternative form of -té, giving a quality or... |
| 3 | Latin | -īta | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ίτης | Suffix forming a masculine noun: one connected... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -της | Forms nouns representing a state of being; Added... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tāts | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |