Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “placenta” come from?

Placenta comes from New Latin placenta uterina, from Latin placenta, from Ancient Greek πλακόεντα, from Ancient Greek πλακόεις, from Ancient Greek πλάξ meaning "flat cake," from Proto-Hellenic pləks, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂-.

placenta (English): A vascular organ in mammals, except monotremes...

Definitions

  1. A vascular organ in mammals, except monotremes...

Ancestry of “placenta”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1New Latinplacenta uterinauterine cake
2Latinplacentaa round phyllo cake with a ribbed base and a...
3Ancient Greekπλακόεντα—
4Ancient Greekπλακοῦςflat cake
5Ancient Greekπλακόειςflat
6Ancient Greekπλάξanything flat and broad
7Proto-Hellenicpləks—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂-flat

Words derived from “placenta”

  • placental
  • transplacental
  • placentation
  • uteroplacental
  • fetoplacental
  • placentitis
  • transplacentally
  • retroplacental
  • ectoplacental
  • intraplacental
  • aplacental
  • placentally
  • placentome
  • nonplacental
  • implacental
  • placentary
  • cerebroplacental
  • preplacental
  • extraplacental
  • placentiferous
  • maternoplacental
  • placentiform
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂- →