Where does “parasite” come from?

Parasite comes from Middle French parasite, from Latin parasitus, from Ancient Greek παράσιτος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning "forward" or "through."

parasite (English): A person who lives on other people's efforts or...

Definitions

  1. A person who lives on other people's efforts or...

Ancestry of “parasite”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchparasite—
2Latinparasītusguest
3Ancient Greekπαράσιτοςone who eats at the table of another, parasite;...
4Ancient Greekπαρά
5LatinverēdusA fast or light breed of horse; courier's horse; hunter
6Gaulishwerēdoshorse
7Proto-Celtic*uɸoreidoshorse

Words derived from “parasite”

Every word from Proto-Celtic *uɸoreidos →Every word from Gaulish werēdos →Every word from Latin verēdus →