Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ovum” come from?

Ovum comes from Latin ovum, derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂ōwyóm, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwis meaning sheep.

ovum (English): The female gamete in animals; the egg cell

Definitions

  1. The female gamete in animals; the egg cell

Ancestry of “ovum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinōvum—
2Latin-ātus—
3Proto-Italic-ātos—
4Proto-Indo-European-éh₂tos—

Words derived from “ovum”

  • ovulation
  • ovule
  • ovulatory
  • anovulatory
  • anovulation
  • ovulate
  • preovulatory
  • superovulation
  • postovulatory
  • ovular
  • ovigerous
  • periovulatory
  • ovisac
  • ovuliferous
  • postovulation
  • ovulary
  • monovular
  • uniovular
  • oligoovulation
  • uniovulate
  • preovulation
  • multiovulate
  • hyperovulation
  • superovulate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éh₂tos →