English
afrotherian
Afrotherian 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 2001afrotherian
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 2001afrotherian
Earliest quotation: 2001, Michael J. Novacek, Mammalian Phylogeny: Genes and Supertrees: “As their name implies, afrotherians putatively represent a radiation…”
Formed from -n
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- ‘wild’
through Ancient Greek θήρ ‘animal, beast’
Today it means
adj Belonging or pertaining to the superorder Afrotheria, which includes the elephants, aardvarks, golden moles, tenrecs, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- / afrotherian