Etymology Explorer › Romanian

Where does “Scorpion” come from?

Scorpion (Romanian) comes from French Scorpion, from Latin scorpiō, from Ancient Greek σκορπίος, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

Ancestry of “Scorpion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchScorpion—
2Latinscorpiō—
3Ancient Greekσκορπίοςscorpion; scorpionfish; scorpion furze
4Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
5Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →