English
carnassial
Carnassial comes from French carnassier ‘carnivorous’, from Occitan carn ‘flesh’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to cut off, sever’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-‘to cut off, sever’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karō‘meat’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaroas carō‘flesh, meat of an animal’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500carn‘flesh’
- Occitanc. 1500–presentsame form‘flesh’
- Occitan, derivedc. 1500–presentcarnassa
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcarnassier‘carnivorous’
- Englishtodaycarnassial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-‘to cut off, sever’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karō‘meat’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaroas carō‘flesh, meat of an animal’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500carn‘flesh’
- Occitanc. 1500–presentsame form‘flesh’
- Occitan, derivedc. 1500–presentcarnassa
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcarnassier‘carnivorous’
- Englishtodaycarnassial
Formed from carnassier ‘carnivorous’ + -ial
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to cut off, sever’
short, across, share, screen, score, cross, cancer, shirt, circle, circuit, curve, circus, circulation, crucial, skirt, curb, scrutiny, shrine, scare, crest, cancellation, circa, scorpion, scar, shred, carnival, corona, shear, raffle, circulate, corolla, incarceration, shrewd, crux, cirque, scorn, riddance, circulatory, crepe, carcinoma, 114 more
through Proto-Italic *karō ‘meat’
through Latin caro ‘flesh, meat of an animal’
card, incarnation, carnivorous, incarnate, carrion, carnivore, carnation, 13 more
Today it means
noun One of the teeth used by a carnivore for shearing flesh, being the last upper premolar and the first lower molar.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- / carnassial