zoon

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷyéh₃-w-os
3. Proto-Hellenic*d͏̌ōwós
4. Ancient Greekζωός (zōós)
5. Ancient Greekζώῐ̈ον (zṓĭ̈on)
6. Ancient Greekζῷον (zōîon)
7. New Latinzōon
8. English todayzoon

First adopted by Herbert Spencer in Principles of Biology (see 1864 quotation): from New Latin zōon, from Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”).

Words from the same roots