Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oval” come from?

Oval derives from Late Latin ovalis, formed with the Latin suffix -alis from Proto-Indo-European h₂ōwyóm, ultimately from h₂éwis meaning egg or sheep.

oval (English): An elongated round shape resembling an egg or...

Definitions

  1. An elongated round shape resembling an egg or...

Ancestry of “oval”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late LatinovalisOf or pertaining to an ovation
2Latinōvum—
3Latin-ātus—
4Proto-Italic-ātos—
5Proto-Indo-European-éh₂tos—

Words derived from “oval”

  • ovate
  • obovate
  • suboval
  • obovoid
  • ovalization
  • subovate
  • ovality
  • ovaloid
  • ovalocytosis
  • semioval
  • ovately
  • ovalish
  • ovally
  • semiovate
  • ovalness
  • ovalling
  • oboval
  • obovately
  • ovalize
  • ovalocyte
  • ovalocytic
  • ovaline
  • ovaliform
  • hyperoval
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éh₂tos →