Where does “ancilla” come from?

ancilla (Latin) comes from Latin ancula, from Latin -lus, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

ancilla (Latin): maid, slave-girl

Definitions

  1. maid, slave-girl

Ancestry of “ancilla”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinanculamaidservant
2Latin-lusAlternative form of -ulus; diminutive suffix
3Proto-Italic-elosForms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns
4Proto-Indo-European-e-lós
5Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “ancilla

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós
ancilla — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer