Where does “polydactylus” come from?
polydactylus (Latin) comes from Latin dactylus, from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος, from Hebrew דקל, from German Dackel, from German Dachshund, from German Dachs, from Old High German dahs, from Proto-West Germanic þahs — to sire, beget.
polydactylus (Latin): many-fingered
Definitions
- many-fingered
Ancestry of “polydactylus”, step by step
polydactylus traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin dactylus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | dactylus | a sort of muscle; a kind of grape; a sort of... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | δάκτυλος | finger; measure of length, the breadth of a... |
| 3 | Hebrew | דקל | palm tree; date; dachshund |
| 4 | German | Dackel | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 5 | German | Dachshund | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 6 | German | Dachs | badger; genitive singular of Dach |
| 7 | Old High German | dahs | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | þahs | badger |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | þahsuz | badger |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tótḱus | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tetḱ- | to create, produce; to cut, hew |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |