Where does “catacomba” come from?
catacomba (Italian) comes from Latin catacumbae, from Latin cata-, from Ancient Greek κατά, from Ancient Greek καταστερίζω, from Ancient Greek ἀστήρ, from Proto-Hellenic astḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.
catacomba (Italian): catacomb
Definitions
- catacomb
Ancestry of “catacomba”, step by step
catacomba traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin catacumbae
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | catacumbae | — |
| 2 | Latin | cata- | among |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κατά | |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | καταστερίζω | to place among the stars; I put among the stars |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀστήρ | a celestial body; illustrious person; starfish |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | astḗr | star |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via French catacombe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | catacombe | catacomb |
| 2 | Latin | catacumbas | — |
via Late Latin catacumbae
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | catacumbae | — |