Where does “zodiak” come from?
zodiak (Middle English) comes from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Ancient Greek ζῳδιακός, from Ancient Greek ζῴδιον, from Ancient Greek ζῷον, from Proto-Hellenic ďṓyyon, from Proto-Hellenic gʷyōwyon, from Proto-Indo-European gʷyeh₃w-y-om — to live.
Ancestry of “zodiak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | zodiaque | zodiac |
| 2 | Latin | zōdiacus | of or pertaining to the zodiac |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ζῳδιακός | Of or relating to little animals; Of or relating... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ζῴδιον | little animal; sign of the zodiac |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ζῷον | animal, beast; form, image |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | ďṓyyon | animal, creature, beast |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | gʷyōwyon | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷyeh₃w-y-om | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷíh₃weti | to live, to be alive |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |