Etymology

ecto-

Today it means: Outside. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ἐκτός (ektós) ← Proto-Hellenic *entós ← Proto-Indo-European *h₁éntos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁eǵʰs
  3. Proto-Hellenic*eks
  4. Ancient Greekἐκ (ek)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éntos
  7. Proto-Hellenic*entós
  8. Ancient Greekἐντός (entós)
  9. Ancient Greekἐκτός (ektós)
  10. English todayecto-

From Ancient Greek ἐκτός (ektós, “outside”). Sense 2 ("ghost-related") is a reinterpretation of this prefix in the word ectoplasm (“paranormal substance believed to be involved in the materialization of the dead”), for the etymology of which see there.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekἐκτός all →

ectoparasite

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.