Etymograph

English

aquarium

Aquarium comes from Latin aqua ‘water’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ékʷeh₂‘water’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akʷāreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaqua‘water’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaquārium
  5. Englishtodayaquarium

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ékʷeh₂‘water’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akʷāreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaqua‘water’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaquārium
  5. Englishtodayaquarium

Formed from -arium

The story

Also claimed to be coined by English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, as a blend of aquatic + vivarium.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂ ‘water’

eddy, ey, 6 more

through Latin aqua ‘water’

eau, aquatic, aqueous, aqueduct, gouache, 7 more

Today it means

noun A tank, often made of glass, for keeping live fish or other aquatic animals.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂ / aquarium

Shirt and support for this word