Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “otolith” come from?

Otolith comes from Ancient Greek ὠτ-, combining ōt- (ear) with -lith (stone), referring to calcium carbonate structures in the inner ear.

otolith (English): A small particle, comprised mainly of calcium...

Definitions

  1. A small particle, comprised mainly of calcium...

Ancestry of “otolith”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekλίθοςa stone; stone as a substance

Words derived from “otolith”

  • otolithic
  • otolite
Every word from Ancient Greek λίθος →