Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scolopendra” come from?

scolopendra (English) comes from Latin scolopendra, from Ancient Greek σκολόπενδρα, from Ancient Greek σκόλοψ, from Ancient Greek σκάλλω, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

scolopendra (English): A mythical sea-creature, reputed to be able to...

Definitions

  1. A mythical sea-creature, reputed to be able to...

Ancestry of “scolopendra”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinscolopendraA kind of centipede; A kind of sea fish
2Ancient Greekσκολόπενδραmillipede
3Ancient GreekσκόλοψA pale, a stake; a palisade; An instrument for...
4Ancient Greekσκάλλωto stir up, hoe; to search, probe
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
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