Etymograph

English

annulus

Annulus comes from Latin ānulus ‘ring, especially one worn on a finger’, and goes back to ānus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEānus1‘ring’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEānulus1‘ring, especially one worn on a finger’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ānnulus1misspelling of ānulus
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1761annulus1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English annulus
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1761, Laurence Sterne, Gentleman: “But by the knots I am ſpeaking of, may…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEānusWiktionary, English annulus‘ring’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEānulusWiktionary, English annulus‘ring, especially one worn on a finger’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ānnulusWiktionary, English annulusmisspelling of ānulus
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1761annulusWiktionary, English annulus. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1761, Laurence Sterne, Gentleman: “But by the knots I am ſpeaking of, may…”

The story

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin ānnulus, a misspelling of Latin ānulus (‘ring, especially one worn on a finger’), from ānus (‘ring’) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eh₂-n-o- (‘ring’), from an uncertain root) + -ulus (diminutive suffix).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. The plural form annuli is a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin ānnulī.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin ānus ‘ring’

anal, 11 more

Today it means

noun A ring- or donut-shaped area, object, or structure.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin ānus / annulus

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