Where does “semivocală” come from?
semivocală (Romanian) comes from Romanian vocală, from Latin vōcālis, from Latin vōx, from Proto-Italic wōks, from Proto-Indo-European wṓkʷs, from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- — to speak, to sound out.
semivocală (Romanian): semivowel
Ancestry of “semivocală”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Romanian | vocală | vowel; feminine singular of vocal |
| 2 | Latin | vōcālis | — |
| 3 | Latin | vōx | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | wōks | voice |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wṓkʷs | voice, speech |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wekʷ- | to speak, to sound out |