Where does “ox” come from?
Ox comes from Middle English oxe, from Old English oxa, from Proto-Germanic uhsô, from Proto-Indo-European uksḗn, a derivative of the root h₂ug-s-ḗn referring to a draft animal.
ox (English): An adult castrated male of cattle; Any bovine...
Definitions
- An adult castrated male of cattle; Any bovine...
Ancestry of “ox”, step by step
ox traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via German Ochse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Ochse | ox |
| 2 | Middle High German | ohse | ox |
| 3 | Old High German | ohso | ox |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ohsō | ox |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uhsô | ox |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | uksḗn | bull |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ug-s-ḗn | — |
via English oxygen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | oxygen | The chemical element with an atomic number of 8... |
| 2 | French | oxygène | oxygen; inflection of oxygéner: ##... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | γένος | offspring, descendant; family, clan; nation, race |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | génos | family; race |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |