Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “fossa” come from?

fossa (Latin) comes from Latin fodiō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰod- — to pierce, dig.

fossa (Latin): ditch, trench, moat; gutter, waterway; grave

Definitions

  1. ditch, trench, moat; gutter, waterway; grave

Ancestry of “fossa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinfodiō—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰod-to pierce, dig

Words derived from “fossa”

  • fossil
  • fossils
  • fossa
  • fosse
  • fossiliferous
  • fossilization
  • fossilize
  • microfossil
  • macrofossil
  • subfossil
  • unfossiliferous
  • nonfossil
  • megafossil
  • fossilist
  • fossula
  • fossette
  • ichnofossil
  • fossiled
  • nonfossiliferous
  • fossilizable
  • fossilology
  • fossilism
  • postfossette
  • fosseway
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰod- →