Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “microvertebrate” come from?

microvertebrate (English) comes from English vertebrate, from French vertèbre, from Latin vertebra, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

microvertebrate (English): A very small vertebrate, especially one known...

Definitions

  1. A very small vertebrate, especially one known...

Ancestry of “microvertebrate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishvertebrateHaving a backbone; An animal having a backbone
2Frenchvertèbrevertebra
3Latinvertebrajoint; vertebra
4Latinvertō—
5Proto-Italicwertō—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →