Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “saproxylophagous” come from?

saproxylophagous (English) comes from English xylophagous, from English -phagous, from Latin -phagus, from Ancient Greek φάγος, from Ancient Greek φαγεῖν, from Proto-Indo-European bʰh₂g-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂g- — to divide, distribute, allot.

saproxylophagous (English): That lives in, or feeds on, decaying wood

Definitions

  1. That lives in, or feeds on, decaying wood

Ancestry of “saproxylophagous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishxylophagousFeeding on wood; Destructive to wood
2English-phagousUsed to form adjectives meaning "eating" or...
3Latin-phagus—
4Ancient Greekφάγοςglutton
5Ancient Greekφαγεῖνaorist active infinitive of ἔφαγον
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰh₂g-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂g-to divide, distribute, allot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂g- →