Etymograph

English

gland

Gland comes from Latin glandulae ‘throat glands, tonsils’, from glandula ‘a little acorn’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelh₂-‘acorn’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*glāntsreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEglāns‘an acorn’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEglandula‘a little acorn’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEglandulae‘throat glands, tonsils’plural of glandula
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400glandre
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentglande
  8. Englishtodaygland

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelh₂-‘acorn’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*glāntsreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEglāns‘an acorn’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEglandula‘a little acorn’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEglandulae‘throat glands, tonsils’plural of glandula
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400glandre
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentglande
  8. Englishtodaygland

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₂- ‘acorn’

bain, 16 more

through Latin glāns ‘an acorn’

glans, 3 more

Another origin of gland

  1. Scotsc. 1450–presentglam‘vice, clamp’uncertain
  2. Englishtodaygland

Today it means

noun A specialized cell, group of cells, or organ of endothelial origin in the human or animal body that synthesizes a chemical substance, such as hormones or breast milk, and releases it, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₂- / gland

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