Where does “rubella” come from?
Rubella comes from Latin rubellus, the diminutive of ruber "red," which derives from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ-, the root for the color red.
rubella (English): A mild disease caused by the Rubella virus...
Definitions
- A mild disease caused by the Rubella virus...
Ancestry of “rubella”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | rubellus | somewhat red, reddish |
| 2 | Latin | ruber | red approximately like red ochre (which had a traditional status among the Romans); red that was both common and dignified, somewhat associated with pigment |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | ruðros | red |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁rudʰrós | red |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁rewdʰ- | red |