Where does “sterile” come from?
Sterile comes from Middle French stérile, from Latin sterilis, from Proto-Indo-European ster-, meaning barren or unable to produce offspring.
sterile (English): Unable to reproduce; Terse; lacking sentiment or...
Definitions
- Unable to reproduce; Terse; lacking sentiment or...
Ancestry of “sterile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | stérile | — |
| 2 | Latin | sterilis | barren, sterile; unprofitable, futile |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |
Words derived from “sterile”