Where does “formica” come from?
formica (Italian) comes from Italian are, from Italian aere, from Old French aire, from Latin ārea, from Proto-Italic āzeā, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs-e-yeh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.
formica (Italian): ant; Formica
Definitions
- ant; Formica
Ancestry of “formica”, step by step
formica traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian are
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | are | Archaic form of aere; plural of ara |
| 2 | Italian | aere | air; appearance, aspect; nature, disposition |
| 3 | Old French | aire | appearance; semblance |
| 4 | Latin | ārea | a piece of level ground, a vacant place (esp. in the town) |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | āzeā | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs-e-yeh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via Latin formīca
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | formīca | ant |
| 2 | Latin | -ārium | used primarily to form nouns of purpose from other nouns, such as places where things are kept or objects used for a particular end |
| 3 | Latin | -um | nominative neuter singular of -us; accusative... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *-om | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *-oHom | — |