Where does “somnambulate” come from?
somnambulate (English) comes from English somnambulism, from French somnambulisme, from French somnambule, from Medieval Latin somnambulus, from Latin ambulō, from Latin ambi-, from Latin ambō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi — on, onto.
somnambulate (English): To walk while sleeping
Definitions
- To walk while sleeping
Ancestry of “somnambulate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | somnambulism | sleepwalking |
| 2 | French | somnambulisme | somnambulism, sleepwalking |
| 3 | French | somnambule | sleepwalking; somnambulist |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | somnambulus | sleepwalker |
| 5 | Latin | ambulō | to traverse, travel |
| 6 | Latin | ambi- | around, about |
| 7 | Latin | ambō | both |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |