English
anadromous
Anadromous comes from Ancient Greek ἀνάδρομος ‘fish entering a river from the sea’, from ἀνατρέχω ‘to revert’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *drem- ‘to run’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*drem-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰregʰ-‘to run, drag’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρέχω‘to run, run over’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνατρέχω‘to revert’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνάδρομοςanádromos‘fish entering a river from the sea’aorist root of ἀνατρέχω
- Englishearliest quotation 2014anadromous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*drem-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰregʰ-‘to run, drag’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρέχω‘to run, run over’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνατρέχω‘to revert’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀνάδρομοςanádromos‘fish entering a river from the sea’aorist root of ἀνατρέχω
- Englishearliest quotation 2014anadromous
Earliest quotation: 2014, Richard Conniff, An evolutionary family drama: “Alewives are anadromous fish: Born in freshwater, they spend…”
Equivalent to ana- + -dromous
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *drem- ‘to run’
syndrome, dormant, dormitory, dormer, dromedary, 24 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- ‘to run, drag’
train, draw, attractive, draft, portrait, retreat, attraction, drag, extraction, distraction, tract, draught, entreat, 52 more
Today it means
adj That lives in the sea and breeds in fresh water.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *drem- / anadromous