Where does “somnambulist” come from?
Somnambulist comes from French somnambuliste, Medieval Latin somnambulus, and Latin ambulo (to walk), derived from Latin ambi- and ambo (both), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European swep-, h₂el-, and h₂ent-.
somnambulist (English): A person who walks about in his or her sleep; a...
Definitions
- A person who walks about in his or her sleep; a...
Ancestry of “somnambulist”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | somnambuliste | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | somnambulus | sleepwalker |
| 3 | Latin | ambulō | to traverse, travel |
| 4 | Latin | ambi- | around, about |
| 5 | Latin | ambō | both |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |