Where does “Cancer” come from?

Cancer (Translingual) comes 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 (Translingual): genus|true crab, distinguished by the presence of a single posterolateral spine (on the edge of the carapace, towards the rear), anterolateral spines with deep fissures (on the carapace edge, towards the front), and a short extension of the carapace forward between the eyes}}

Definitions

  1. genus|true crab, distinguished by the presence of a single posterolateral spine (on the edge of the carapace, towards the rear), anterolateral spines with deep fissures (on the carapace edge, towards the front), and a short extension of the carapace forward between the eyes}}

Ancestry of “Cancer”, step by step

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