Where does “tetralingual” come from?
tetralingual (English) comes from English lingual, from Latin linguālis, from Latin lingua, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
tetralingual (English): Able to read or speak four languages; Expressed...
Definitions
- Able to read or speak four languages; Expressed...
Ancestry of “tetralingual”, step by step
tetralingual traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lingual
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lingual | related to the tongue; related to language or... |
| 2 | Latin | linguālis | lingual |
| 3 | Latin | lingua | tongue; a speech; an utterance or expression |
| 4 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
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 |