Etymology Explorer › Translingual

Where does “Ophiocordyceps” come from?

Ophiocordyceps (Translingual) comes from English cordyceps, from Latin -ceps, from Old Latin -cipes, from Proto-Italic -kaputis, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

Ancestry of “Ophiocordyceps”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcordycepsAny of the fungi of the genus "Cordyceps", a...
2Latin-ceps-headed; -fold; -catcher
3Old Latin-cipes"third declension"; Alternative form of -ceps;...
4Proto-Italic-kaputis-headed
5Proto-Italickaputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →