Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “somnambule” come from?

somnambule (French) comes from Medieval Latin somnambulus, from Latin ambulō, from Latin ambi-, from Latin ambō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- — on, onto.

somnambule (French): sleepwalking; somnambulist

Definitions

  1. sleepwalking; somnambulist

Ancestry of “somnambule”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinsomnambulussleepwalker
2Latinambulō—
3Latinambi-ambi-
4Latinambō—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “somnambule”

  • somnambule
  • somnambul
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →