Where does “cancer” come from?

cancer (Latin) comes from Proto-Italic kankros, from Proto-Italic karkros, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

cancer (Latin): a crab; a tumor, cancer; a lattice, grid, or...

Definitions

  1. a crab; a tumor, cancer; a lattice, grid, or...

Ancestry of “cancer”, step by step

cancer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Italic kankros

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Italickankroscrab
2Proto-Italickarkrosenclosure, barrier
3Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-kr̥-circular
4Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
5Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

via Ancient Greek καρκίνος

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekκαρκίνοςcrab; Cancer, the zodiac sign; sore, ulcer,...
2Proto-Indo-Europeankarkros—

Words derived from “cancer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥- →