Where does “tonsil” come from?
Tonsil comes from Latin tonsillae, from Proto-Italic tonslis, from Proto-Indo-European ten-, a root of uncertain meaning.
tonsil (English): Either of a pair of small masses of lymphoid...
Definitions
- Either of a pair of small masses of lymphoid...
Ancestry of “tonsil”, step by step
tonsil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin tonsillae
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | tonsillae | tonsils |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | *tonslilā | — |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | tonslis | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
via French tonsille
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | tonsille | tonsil |