English
protocellular
From proto- + cellular.
Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’
English proto-
Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover’
Latin cella ‘a small room, a hut, storeroom’
New Latin cellula ‘cell’
New Latin cellulāris
English cellular
Today it means
adj Relating to a protocell
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / protocellular