Where does “tetradactyly” come from?
tetradactyly (English) comes from English dactyly, from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος, from Hebrew דקל, from German Dackel, from German Dachshund, from German Dachs, from Old High German dahs, from Proto-West Germanic þahs — to sire, beget.
tetradactyly (English): The condition of having four digits on a limb, as...
Definitions
- The condition of having four digits on a limb, as...
Ancestry of “tetradactyly”, step by step
tetradactyly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dactyly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dactyly | The number and arrangement of digits on the... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | δάκτυλος | finger; measure of length, the breadth of a... |
| 3 | Hebrew | דקל | palm tree; date; dachshund |
| 4 | German | Dackel | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 5 | German | Dachshund | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 6 | German | Dachs | badger; genitive singular of Dach |
| 7 | Old High German | dahs | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | þahs | badger |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | þahsuz | badger |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tótḱus | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tetḱ- | to create, produce; to cut, hew |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |
via English tetra
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tetra | Any of numerous species of small South American... |
| 2 | Translingual | Tetragonopterus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |