Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “operculum” come from?

Operculum comes from Latin operculum, formed with the diminutive suffix Latin -culum from Latin -culus, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European -trom and -tḗr.

operculum (English): A covering flap in animals, such as a gill cover;...

Definitions

  1. A covering flap in animals, such as a gill cover;...

Ancestry of “operculum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinoperculumcover, covering
2Latin-culumnominative neuter singular of -culus; accusative...
3Proto-Italic-klom—
4Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
5Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
6Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

Words derived from “operculum”

  • opercula
  • preoperculum
  • suboperculum
  • interoperculum
  • praeoperculum
  • operculiferous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr →