Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “somniferous” come from?

somniferous (English) comes from Latin somnifer, from Latin somnus, from Proto-Italic swepnos, from Proto-Indo-European swépnos, from Proto-Indo-European swopnos, from Proto-Indo-European swep- — to sleep.

somniferous (English): causing or inducing sleep, normally with harmful...

Definitions

  1. causing or inducing sleep, normally with harmful...

Ancestry of “somniferous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsomnifersomniferous
2Latinsomnussleep; drowsiness, slumber sloth, idleness; death
3Proto-Italicswepnos—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswépnossleep, slumber
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswopnosdream
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswep-to sleep

Words derived from “somniferous”

  • somniferously
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swep- →