Where does “termite” come from?
Termite comes from French termite, from Latin termites, from Latin termes, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- meaning to rub or wear away.
termite (English): A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the...
Definitions
- A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the...
Ancestry of “termite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | Termes | Lerma a town in |
| 2 | Latin | termes | a branch bough of a tree, one severed thence;... |
| 3 | Latin | tero | I rub or triturate; I wear away or wear out; I... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
Words derived from “termite”