English
actinal
Actinal comes from Ancient Greek ἀκτίς ‘ray’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκτίς‘ray’
- Englishearliest quotation 1857actinal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκτίς‘ray’
- Englishearliest quotation 1857actinal
Earliest quotation: 1857, Professor Louis Agassiz, Natural History of North America: “The so-called mouth is always placed at one of…”
Formed from -al
The story
The usage was coined by Louis Agassiz (See quotations below.).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *negʷ- ‘bare, naked’
night, naked, nude, negro, noir, nigger, gymnastics, gymnasium, gymnast, nox, nocturnal, naga, denigrate, nocturne, nigella, nudism, 51 more
Today it means
adj Pertaining to the side or surface around the mouth in an animal that has radial symmetry such as a starfish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀκτίς / actinal