Where does “hippocampus” come from?
hippocampus (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος, from Ancient Greek κάμπος, from Latin campus, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂emp-, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- — to bend, to curve.
hippocampus (Latin): a seahorse
Definitions
- a seahorse
Ancestry of “hippocampus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἱππόκαμπος | monster with the body of a horse and the tail of... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | κάμπος | sea monster; plain |
| 3 | Latin | campus | Open flat level ground: a plain, a natural field;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂emp- | to bend; crooked; to bend, curve |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |