Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “triphalangeal” come from?

triphalangeal (English) comes from English phalangeal, from Latin phalanx, from Ancient Greek φάλαγξ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵ- — to balk, beam.

triphalangeal (English): Having three phalanges

Definitions

  1. Having three phalanges

Ancestry of “triphalangeal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishphalangealRelating to a phalanx; Relating to a phalange; A...
2Latinphalanxphalanx, battalion
3Ancient Greekφάλαγξline of battle, battle-array; ranks of an army;...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵ-to balk, beam
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵ- →