Where does “fossil” come from?
fossil (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Latin fossilis, from Latin fossa, from Latin fodiō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰod- — to pierce, dig.
fossil (Norwegian Nynorsk): fossilised (UK), fossilized, or fossil (noun modifier)
Definitions
- fossilised (UK), fossilized, or fossil (noun modifier)
Ancestry of “fossil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | fossilis | Retrieved from the earth, dug out, dug up,... |
| 2 | Latin | fossa | ditch, trench, moat; gutter, waterway; grave |
| 3 | Latin | fodiō | to dig, dig up, dig out; to bury; to dig or clear out the earth from a place; to mine, quarry |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰod- | to pierce, dig |
Words derived from “fossil”