Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oligo-” come from?

oligo- (English) comes from Ancient Greek ὀλίγος, from New Latin chaeta, from Ancient Greek χαίτη, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₂it- — curly hair.

oligo- (English): few

Definitions

  1. few

Ancestry of “oligo-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient GreekὀλίγοςOf small amount: few, little; Of small size:...
2New Latinchaeta—
3Ancient Greekχαίτηloose, flowing hair; used especially of back...
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰeh₂it-curly hair

Words derived from “oligo-”

  • oligonucleotide
  • oligotrophic
  • oligosaccharide
  • oligomeric
  • oligomerization
  • oliguria
  • oligomer
  • oligodendrocyte
  • oligohydramnios
  • oligoclonal
  • oligofructose
  • oligodendroglial
  • oliguric
  • oligopeptide
  • oligodendroglioma
  • oligomenorrhea
  • oligoclase
  • oligoarticular
  • oligodendroglia
  • oligoarthritis
  • oligomerize
  • oligomycin
  • oligomenorrhoea
  • oligogenic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₂it- →