Where does “nuclear family” come from?
nuclear family (English) comes from English nuclear, from Latin nū̆cleus, from Latin nuculea, from Latin -eus, from Ancient Greek -εῖος, from Proto-Indo-European -iHwós, from Proto-Indo-European -wós — Creates adjectives from verb stems.
nuclear family (English): The traditional western family unit, consisting of two parents (traditionally a mother and a father) and their children
Definitions
- The traditional western family unit, consisting of two parents (traditionally a mother and a father) and their children
Ancestry of “nuclear family”, step by step
nuclear family traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nuclear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nuclear | Pertaining to the nucleus of an atom; Involving... |
| 2 | Latin | nū̆cleus | (small) nut |
| 3 | Latin | nuculea | pertaining to a small nut |
| 4 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |
via English family
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | family | A group of people who are closely related to one... |
| 2 | Middle English | famylye | family |
| 3 | Latin | familia | family; household; A quantity of land adequate... |
| 4 | Latin | famulus | serving, servile; a servant, slave |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | famelos | servile, domestic |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰh₁-m-eló- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |