Where does “lepidoptera” come from?
lepidoptera (Latin) comes from Latin lepidopterus, from Ancient Greek πτερόν, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
lepidoptera (Latin): nominative feminine singular of lepidopterus;...
Definitions
- nominative feminine singular of lepidopterus;...
Ancestry of “lepidoptera”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | lepidopterus | scaly-winged; Lepidoptera—butterflies and moths |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |