Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “latitudo” come from?

latitudo (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek κλίμα, from Ancient Greek κλίνω, from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Ancestry of “latitudo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekκλίμαa slope, incline, inclination; the supposed slope...
2Ancient Greekκλίνωto bend, slant; to cause to give way, cause to...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱley-to shelter, cover; to lean, slope, incline
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →