English
eruca
Eruca comes from Latin eruca ‘caterpillar’, from ēr ‘hedgehog’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to be excited, bristly’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to be excited, bristly’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰḗr‘hedgehog’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hērreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEēr‘hedgehog’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEeruca‘caterpillar’
- Englishearliest quotation 1727same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to be excited, bristly’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰḗr‘hedgehog’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hērreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEēr‘hedgehog’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEeruca‘caterpillar’
- Englishearliest quotation 1727same form
Earliest quotation: 1727, Stephen SWITZER, The Practical Kitchen Gardiner: Or: “The eruca, or rocket, so called from the Greek,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to be excited, bristly’
girl, card, chart, chronic, cartoon, chorus, cartridge, cartel, synchronous, carton, carte, crony, synchronize, cartography, cron, germanium, cartouche, 32 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰḗr ‘hedgehog’
through Latin eruca ‘caterpillar’
Today it means
noun Caterpillar; larva.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- / eruca