Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pupa” come from?

Pupa comes from Latin pupa, derived from Latin pupus, which traces to Proto-Indo-European peh₂w-, a root of uncertain meaning.

pupa (English): An insect in the development stage between larva...

Definitions

  1. An insect in the development stage between larva...

Ancestry of “pupa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpupagirl, little girl; doll, puppet; pupa
2Latinpupusa boy, a child; a puppet; the pupil of the eye
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂w-few, little; smallness

Words derived from “pupa”

  • pupal
  • prepupal
  • prepupa
  • pseudopupa
  • semipupa
  • pupadom
  • pupivorous
  • semipupal
  • pupigerous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂w- →