Where does “Heteroptera” come from?
Heteroptera (Translingual) comes from Ancient Greek ἕτεροπτερος, from Ancient Greek πτερόν, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
Ancestry of “Heteroptera”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἕτεροπτερος | different wings |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |