Where does “sinuous” come from?
Sinuous comes from Latin sinuosus, derived from Latin -osus (suffix meaning "full of") added to a root from Arabic جَيْب, ultimately tracing through Sanskrit ज्या and Proto-Indo-European gʷiH- meaning "to live or thrive."
sinuous (English): Having curves in alternate directions;...
Definitions
- Having curves in alternate directions;...
Ancestry of “sinuous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | sinuosus | winding, sinuous |
| 2 | Latin | sinus | a hollow, cavity; curve, fold, winding; gulf, bay |
| 3 | Arabic | جَيْب | pocket; opening in a garment; pocket; bosom, fold... |
| 4 | Sanskrit | ज्या | bow-string, tendon; sine |
| 5 | Sanskrit | जीव | alive, living; life, existence; any living being,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | ȷ́iHwás | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ǰiHwás | alive |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |