Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spermo-” come from?

spermo- (English) comes from English sperm, from Middle English sperme, from Latin sperma, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα, from Proto-Hellenic *spérmə.

Ancestry of “spermo-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspermThe reproductive cell or gamete of the male; a...
2Middle Englishsperme—
3Latinspermaseed, semen, sperm
4Ancient Greekσπέρμαseed; semen, sperm; seed-time, sowing
5Proto-Hellenic*spérmə—

Words derived from “spermo-”

  • spermophile
  • spermosphere
  • spermogonium
  • spermospore
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *spérmə →