Where does “orc” come from?

orc (Portuguese) comes from English orc, from Italian Orco, from Latin orcus, from Ancient Greek ὅρκος, from Proto-Indo-European serḱ- — to emend, make good, recompense.

orc (Portuguese): orc evil, monstrous humanoid creature

Definitions

  1. orc evil, monstrous humanoid creature

Ancestry of “orc”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishorcAny of several large, ferocious sea creatures,...
2ItalianOrcoOrcus
3Latinorcusunderworld; afterlife
4Ancient Greekὅρκοςthe object by which one swears, the witness of an...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanserḱ-to emend, make good, recompense
Every word from Proto-Indo-European serḱ- →Every word from Ancient Greek ὅρκος →Every word from Latin orcus →