English
afrothere
Afrothere comes from Ancient Greek θηρίον ‘beast’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- ‘wild’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰwer-‘wild’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kʷʰḗr‘wild beast’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθήρ‘animal, beast’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθηρίονthēríon‘beast’
- Englishearliest quotation 2004afrothere
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰwer-‘wild’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kʷʰḗr‘wild beast’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθήρ‘animal, beast’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθηρίονthēríon‘beast’
- Englishearliest quotation 2004afrothere
Earliest quotation: 2004, Richard Dawkins, The Ancestor's Tale: “Golden moles and tenrecs seem to be related to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- ‘wild’
through Ancient Greek θήρ ‘animal, beast’
Today it means
noun An afrotherian.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- / afrothere