Etymology

bacterial

B3A1C3T1E1R1I1A1L1

Today it means: Of, relating to, or caused by bacteria. Full definition →

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English bacteria ← New Latin bactēria
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekβακτηρία (baktēría)
  2. Ancient Greekβακτήριον (baktḗrion)
  3. New Latinbactēria
  4. Englishbacteria
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  7. English todaybacterial

From bacteria + -al.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.