Where does “sea unicorn” come from?
sea unicorn (English) comes from English unicorn, from Middle English unicorne, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, from Latin ūnicornis, from Latin ūni-, from Latin ūnus, from Old Latin oinos, from Proto-Italic oinos — one; single.
sea unicorn (English): The narwhal
Definitions
- The narwhal
Ancestry of “sea unicorn”, step by step
sea unicorn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English unicorn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | unicorn | A mythical beast resembling a horse or deer with... |
| 2 | Middle English | unicorne | unicorn; Any one-horned beast; anger, rage, fury,... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | unicorne | unicorn |
| 4 | Latin | ūnicornis | One-horned |
| 5 | Latin | ūni- | one; uni |
| 6 | Latin | ūnus | one, single |
| 7 | Old Latin | oinos | one |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | oinos | cardinal number 1 Previous: n/a Next: *duō;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |
via English sea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sea | A large body of salt water; A lake, especially if... |
| 2 | Middle English | see | sea, ocean; A body of water, a lake; seat, chair |
| 3 | Old English | sǣ | sea, lake |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | saiwi | sea |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | saiwiz | sea, ocean |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sīhwaną | to filter |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seykʷ- | to moisten; to filter |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sey- | to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;... |