English
colosseum
Colosseum comes from Latin colossēum, from colosseus ‘gigantic’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek κολοσσός ‘giant statue’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκολοσσόςkolossós‘giant statue’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκολοσσιαῖοςkolossiaîos‘colossal’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolosseus‘gigantic’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEneuter
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolossēum
- Englishearliest quotation 1888colosseum
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκολοσσόςkolossós‘giant statue’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκολοσσιαῖοςkolossiaîos‘colossal’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolosseus‘gigantic’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEneuter
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolossēum
- Englishearliest quotation 1888colosseum
Earliest quotation: 1888, The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionar, Sciences: “This design was also adopted for their amphitheatres, such…”
Equivalent to colossus + -eum
Ancient Greek κολοσσός ‘large statue, especially the colossus of Rhodes’
Latin colossus ‘colossus, giant statue’
English colossus
Linked words
through Latin neuter
force, marvel, neutral, mandate, menstrual, rapunzel, neuter, legate, cabeza, cadenza, 11 more
through Latin colossēum
Today it means
noun —
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κολοσσός / colosseum