Where does “tetanus” come from?
Tetanus comes from Latin tetanus, from Ancient Greek τέτανος, derived from the root τείνω meaning to stretch, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten-.
tetanus (English): A serious and often fatal disease caused by the...
Definitions
- A serious and often fatal disease caused by the...
Ancestry of “tetanus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | tetanus | A stiffness or spasm of the neck; tetanus; The... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | τέτανος | Convulsive tension, tetanus |
| 3 | Greek | τείνω | stretch; stretch, extend, hold out; approach,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τείνω | to stretch, extend; to spread; to exert, push to... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | téňňō | to stretch |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tén-ye-ti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
Words derived from “tetanus”