Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “aurora borealis” come from?

aurora borealis (Latin) comes from Latin aurora, from Proto-Italic auzōs, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwsōs, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éws-os-s, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ews- — dawn; east; to draw water, scoop up.

Ancestry of “aurora borealis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinauroradawn, sunrise
2Proto-Italicauzōsdawn
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éwsōsdawn; goddess of dawn, bringer of light for which...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éws-os-s—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ews-dawn; east; to draw water, scoop up

Words derived from “aurora borealis”

  • aurora boreal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ews- →