English
cerebral
Cerebral comes from Latin cerebrum ‘a brain’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂sromreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kerazrom‘brain’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcerebrum‘a brain’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcérébral
- Englishearliest quotation 2024cerebral
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂sromreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kerazrom‘brain’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcerebrum‘a brain’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcérébral
- Englishearliest quotation 2024cerebral
Earliest quotation: 2024, James Miller, Karl Marx, Weirder Than Ever: “Certainly, “Capital” is a cerebral read and the dangers…”
Formed from cerebrum + -al
Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂srom
Proto-Italic *kerazrom ‘brain’
Latin cerebrum ‘a brain’
Middle English cerebrum ‘brain’
English cerebrum
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-
horn, hart, cheer, grail, corny, migraine, crater, cornea, carotid, cairn, cornet, procrastinate, cranium, keratin, rother, 54 more
Today it means
adj Of or relating to the brain, cerebrum, or cerebral cortex.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- / cerebral