Where does “octopus” come from?
Octopus comes from Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους, literally "eight-foot," combining ὀκτώ (eight) and πούς (foot), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ped-.
octopus (English): Any of several marine molluscs of the family...
Definitions
- Any of several marine molluscs of the family...
Ancestry of “octopus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | octopūs | octopus |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὀκτώπους | eight-footed; octopus |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πούς | foot; leg; Greek foot or pous, the ancient Greek... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pṓds | foot |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | póds | foot |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ped- | to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall |
Words derived from “octopus”