Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tetra” come from?

Tetra comes from Translingual Tetragonopterus, a genus name combining Greek tetra- meaning four with -gon- meaning angle and -pterus meaning wing.

tetra (English): Any of numerous species of small South American...

Definitions

  1. Any of numerous species of small South American...

Ancestry of “tetra”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1TranslingualTetragonopterus—
2Ancient Greekπτερόνfeather; wing; Any winged creature
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpéth₂r̥wing; feather
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly

Words derived from “tetra”

  • tetradactyl
  • tetrevangelium
  • neontetra
  • punatetra
  • tetra
  • tetrapakkaus
  • punaevätetra
  • tetrahydrokannabinoli
  • timanttitetra
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- →