Where does “semilunar” come from?
Semilunar comes from English semi- and lunar, combining Latin semi- (half) from Proto-Indo-European sēmi, with Latin lunāris from Proto-Indo-European lewk- (to shine).
semilunar (English): Shaped like a half-moon; crescent-shaped; The...
Definitions
- Shaped like a half-moon; crescent-shaped; The...
Ancestry of “semilunar”, step by step
semilunar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lunar
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lunar | Of, pertaining to, or resembling the Moon (that is, Luna, the Earth's moon) |
| 2 | Middle English | lunar | shaped like the crescent moon |
| 3 | Latin | lunaris | Of or pertaining to the moon, lunar |
| 4 | Norman | leune | moon; jellyfish |
| 5 | Old French | lune | the Moon |
| 6 | Latin | lūna | — |
| 7 | Old Latin | losna | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | louksnā | moon |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lówksneh₂ | moon |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via French semi-lunaire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | semi-lunaire | semilunar |