English
dens
Dens comes from Latin dēns ‘a tooth’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- ‘to bite’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to bite’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃dónts‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dents‘tooth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēns‘a tooth’
- Englishtodaydens
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to bite’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃dónts‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dents‘tooth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēns‘a tooth’
- Englishtodaydens
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- ‘to bite’
odor, annoy, ozone, egregious, toothless, odious, osmium, redolent, odium, 64 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts ‘tooth’
through Proto-Italic *dents ‘tooth’
trident, denture, dentate, dentin, 39 more
through Latin dēns ‘a tooth’
Today it means
noun A toothlike process projecting from the anterior end of the centrum of the axis vertebra on which the atlas vertebra rotates.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- / dens