Where does “zooplankton” come from?
Zooplankton comes from English plankton and Ancient Greek ζῷον meaning animal, derived from πλαγκτός meaning wandering, from πλάζω meaning to drive or wander.
zooplankton (English): Free-floating small protozoa, crustaceans (such as krill), etc. and the eggs and larvae from larger animals
Definitions
- Free-floating small protozoa, crustaceans (such as krill), etc. and the eggs and larvae from larger animals
Ancestry of “zooplankton”, step by step
zooplankton traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English zoo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | zoo | A park where live animals are exhibited; Any... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ζῷον | animal, beast; form, image |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | ďṓyyon | animal, creature, beast |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | gʷyōwyon | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷyeh₃w-y-om | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷíh₃weti | to live, to be alive |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |
via English plankton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | plankton | Small organisms that float in the water |
| 2 | German | Plankton | plankton |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πλαγκτόν | neuter nominative singular of πλαγκτός; neuter... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πλαγκτός | wandering, roaming; wandering in mind, erring,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πλάζω | to turn away from; to bewilder, dull the mind; to... |
via Polish plankton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polish | plankton | plankton |