Etymology

Oligocene

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Today it means: Of a geologic epoch within the Paleogene period from about 34 to 23 million years ago; marked by the rapid evolution in a warm climate. Full definition →

German Oligozän
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The story

  1. German · borrowed fromOligozän
  2. English todayOligocene

From German Oligozän (originally spelt Oligocän, coined in 1854). By surface analysis, oligo- + -cene.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.