Where does “cancer” come from?

cancer (French) comes from Latin cancer, from Proto-Italic kankros, from Proto-Italic karkros, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

cancer (French): cancer

Definitions

  1. cancer

Ancestry of “cancer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincancera crab; a tumor, cancer; a lattice, grid, or...
2Proto-Italickankroscrab
3Proto-Italickarkrosenclosure, barrier
4Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-kr̥-circular
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
6Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “cancer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥- →