English
sterility
Sterility comes from Latin sterilitās ‘sterility, barrenness’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ster-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘sterile’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsterilis‘barren, sterile’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsterilitās‘sterility, barrenness’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sterylite
- Englishtodaysterility
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘sterile’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsterilis‘barren, sterile’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsterilitās‘sterility, barrenness’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sterylite
- Englishtodaysterility
Equivalent to sterile + -ity
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘sterile’
still, start, street, strength, strongly, stronger, strongest, straw, stare, throttle, torpedo, starve, stern, cholesterol, stereo, strenuous, 18 more
Today it means
noun The state or quality of being sterile.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ster- / sterility