Where does “Mammalia” come from?
Mammalia (Latin) comes from Latin mammalis, from Latin mamma, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
Ancestry of “Mammalia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | mammalis | Of or for the breasts |
| 2 | Latin | mamma | a breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug |
| 3 | Latin | ferō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | ferō | carry, bear |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |