Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “cilium” come from?

cilium (Latin) comes from Proto-Italic *keljom, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-yo-m, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

cilium (Latin): eyelid; eyelash

Definitions

  1. eyelid; eyelash

Ancestry of “cilium”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Italic*keljom—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-yo-m—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “cilium”

  • ciliary
  • cilia
  • supercilious
  • superciliously
  • superciliousness
  • cilium
  • mucociliary
  • supercilium
  • nasociliary
  • stereocilium
  • periciliary
  • supraciliary
  • iridociliary
  • ciliograde
  • extraciliary
  • intraciliary
  • ciliform
  • ciliferous
  • multiciliary
  • stereocilin
  • cilia
  • supercilium
  • supercilia
  • superciliosus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →