Where does “spongiform” come from?
Spongiform derives from Latin spongiformis, meaning resembling a sponge, from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπόγγος.
spongiform (English): Like a sponge, porous, full of holes
Definitions
- Like a sponge, porous, full of holes
Ancestry of “spongiform”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -iform | Alternative form of -form |
| 2 | English | -form | Having the shape or form of; looking like;... |
| 3 | English | formic | Of or pertaining to ants; Of, pertaining to or... |
| 4 | French | formique | formic |
| 5 | French | -ique | Used to form adjectives from nouns: -ic, -ical,... |
| 6 | Middle French | -ique | ic |
| 7 | Old French | -ique | -ic |
| 8 | Latin | -icus | belonging to; derived from; of or pertaining to;... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *-ikos | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or pertaining to' |