Where does “tetraphobia” come from?
tetraphobia (English) comes from English tetra, from Translingual Tetragonopterus, from Ancient Greek πτερόν, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
tetraphobia (English): Custom of avoiding the number four commonly seen...
Definitions
- Custom of avoiding the number four commonly seen...
Ancestry of “tetraphobia”, step by step
tetraphobia traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |