Where does “cancer” come from?

cancer (Romanian) comes from French cancer, from Latin cancer, from Proto-Italic kankros, from Proto-Italic karkros, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

cancer (Romanian): cancer

Definitions

  1. cancer

Ancestry of “cancer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcancercancer
2Latincancera crab; a tumor, cancer; a lattice, grid, or...
3Proto-Italickankroscrab
4Proto-Italickarkrosenclosure, barrier
5Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-kr̥-circular
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “cancer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-kr̥- →
cancer — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer