Where does “spermicidal” come from?
spermicidal (English) comes from English spermicide, from English -icide, from English -cide, from Middle French -cide, from Latin -cīdium, from Latin -ium, from Latin -ius, from Proto-Italic -jōs — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
spermicidal (English): Having the ability to kill sperm
Definitions
- Having the ability to kill sperm
Ancestry of “spermicidal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spermicide | A substance used for killing sperm |
| 2 | English | -icide | Alternative form of -cide |
| 3 | English | -cide | killing; killer |
| 4 | Middle French | -cide | — |
| 5 | Latin | -cīdium | — |
| 6 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 7 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |