Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rotund” come from?

Rotund comes from Latin rotundus, derived from Latin rota meaning wheel, with the sense developing from circular shape to round in form.

rotund (English): Having a round, spherical or curved shape;...

Definitions

  1. Having a round, spherical or curved shape;...

Ancestry of “rotund”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinrotundusround, circular; spherical, rotund; rounded,...
2Latinrotō—
3LatinRotaan ecclesiastical appellate court in the Catholic...
4Proto-Italicrotā—
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHróth₂-eh₂—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreth₂-to run

Words derived from “rotund”

  • rotundity
  • subrotund
  • rotundly
  • rotundness
  • rotundation
  • obrotund
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreth₂- →