Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “proliferate” come from?

Proliferate derives from Latin proliferāre, formed from Latin pro- and ferre meaning "to carry," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning "to bear or carry."

proliferate (English): To increase in number or spread rapidly; to...

Definitions

  1. To increase in number or spread rapidly; to...

Ancestry of “proliferate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishproliferationThe process by which an organism produces others...
2Frenchproliférationproliferation, spreading
3French-ation-ation
4Middle French-ation-ation
5Old French-ation-ation
6Latin-ātiō—
7Latin-tiō—
8Latindissertātiō—
9Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
10Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
11Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
12Latincalceusshoe
13Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
14Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “proliferate”

  • proliferating
  • proliferative
  • lymphoproliferative
  • proliferator
  • antiproliferative
  • myeloproliferative
  • membranoproliferative
  • nonproliferative
  • hyperproliferative
  • nonproliferating
  • fibroproliferative
  • immunoproliferative
  • hypoproliferative
  • mesangioproliferative
  • proliferatively
  • nonlymphoproliferative
  • overproliferate
  • vasculoproliferative
  • hyperproliferating
  • antiproliferatively
  • reproliferate
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →