Where does “scorpion” come from?

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

scorpion (Romanian): scorpion

Definitions

  1. scorpion

Ancestry of “scorpion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchscorpionscorpion
2Latinscorpioa scorpion; a kind of prickly sea fish, possibly...
3Ancient Greekσκορπίων—
4Ancient Greekσκορπίοςscorpion; scorpionfish; scorpion furze
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
6Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Ancient Greek σκορπίος →