English
maxillary
Maxillary comes from Latin māxillāris ‘of or belonging to the jaw’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *smeḱ- ‘beard’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*smeḱ-‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smakslāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāla‘the cheekbone, jaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāxilla‘the jawbone, jaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāxillāris‘of or belonging to the jaw’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842maxillary
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*smeḱ-‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smakslāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāla‘the cheekbone, jaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāxilla‘the jawbone, jaw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmāxillāris‘of or belonging to the jaw’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842maxillary
Earliest quotation: 1842, Encyclopaedia Britannica: “In the RODENTIA the interorbital space is still larger,…”
Formed from maxilla + -ary
Proto-Indo-European *smeḱ- ‘beard’
Proto-Italic *smakslā
Latin māla ‘the cheekbone, jaw’
Latin māxilla ‘the jawbone, jaw’
English maxilla
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *smakslā
through Latin māla ‘the cheekbone, jaw’
Today it means
adj Of or relating to the jaw or jawbone.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *smeḱ- / maxillary