Where does “microbe” come from?
Microbe comes from French microbe, from Ancient Greek μικρός meaning small, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European smēyg-.
microbe (English): Any microorganism, but especially a harmful...
Definitions
- Any microorganism, but especially a harmful...
Ancestry of “microbe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | microbe | microbe |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | βίος | life |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Γένεσις | Genesis. The title of the first book of the Bible and Pentateuch as in the Septuagint translation in Greek |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | génetis | origin, source |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |