Where does “spelunk” come from?

spelunk (English) comes from Middle English spelunke, from Old French spelonque, from Italian spelonca, from Latin spēlunca, from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ, from Ancient Greek σπέος — cave, cavern, grotto.

spelunk (English): A cave, cavern or grotto; To explore caves; To...

Definitions

  1. A cave, cavern or grotto; To explore caves; To...

Ancestry of “spelunk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishspelunkeA spelunk; a cave or grotto; A gravesite; where...
2Old Frenchspelonque—
3Italianspeloncacave, cavern; hovel
4Latinspēluncacave; cavern; chasm
5Ancient Greekσπῆλυγξcave
6Ancient Greekσπέοςcave, cavern, grotto

Words derived from “spelunk”

Every word from Ancient Greek σπέος →Every word from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ →Every word from Latin spēlunca →