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
aurora borealis traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin aurora
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | aurora | dawn, sunrise |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | auzōs | dawn |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éwsōs | dawn; goddess of dawn, bringer of light for which... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éws-os-s | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ews- | dawn; east; to draw water, scoop up |