Where does “semilethal” come from?
semilethal (English) comes from English lethal, from Latin lētālis, from Latin -ālis, from Proto-Italic -ālis — forms relational adjectives.
semilethal (English): lethal to at least half of all affected organisms
Definitions
- lethal to at least half of all affected organisms
Ancestry of “semilethal”, step by step
semilethal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lethal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lethal | Deadly; mortal; fatal; Any weapon that causes... |
| 2 | Latin | lētālis | lethal, deadly, fatal, mortal |
| 3 | Latin | -ālis | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | -ālis | forms relational adjectives |
via English semi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | semi | A semi-detached house; A semitrailer; a... |
| 2 | English | semi- | half; partial, incomplete; somewhat, rather,... |
| 3 | Latin | sēmi- | half |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sēmi | half; partially |