Where does “permafrost” come from?
Permafrost is a modern English compound of "permanent" and frost, where frost derives from Old English frost, Proto-Germanic frustaz, and Proto-Indo-European prews-, meaning to freeze or burn.
permafrost (English): Permanently frozen ground, or a specific layer...
Definitions
- Permanently frozen ground, or a specific layer...
Ancestry of “permafrost”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | perma- | permanent |
| 2 | English | permanent | Without end, eternal; Lasting for an indefinitely... |
| 3 | Latin | permanēns | — |
| 4 | Latin | permaneo | I stay to the end, hold out, endure; last,... |
| 5 | Latin | per- | Used to make adjectives or verbs that are "very"... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | peri- | — |
Words derived from “permafrost”