English
zygote
Zygote comes from Ancient Greek ζῠγωτός ‘yoked’, from ζυγόω ‘to yoke or join together’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to yoke, harness, join’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*yugóm‘yoke’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*dzugón‘yoke’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEζῠγόν‘the yoke of a plow or carriage’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζυγόω‘to yoke or join together’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζῠγωτόςzŭgōtós‘yoked’
- Englishtodayzygote
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yewg-‘to yoke, harness, join’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*yugóm‘yoke’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*dzugón‘yoke’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEζῠγόν‘the yoke of a plow or carriage’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζυγόω‘to yoke or join together’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEζῠγωτόςzŭgōtós‘yoked’
- Englishtodayzygote
Equivalent to zygo- + -ote
Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ‘to yoke, harness, join’
Proto-Indo-European *yugóm ‘yoke’
Proto-Hellenic *dzugón ‘yoke’
Ancient Greek ζυγόν ‘yoke’
English zygo-
The story
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ζῠγωτός (zŭgōtós, “yoked”) + English -ote (suffix meaning ‘having [the thing to which it is attached]’). Ζῠγωτός (Zŭgōtós) is derived from ζῠγόω (zŭgóō, “to join or yoke together”) + -τός (-tós, suffix forming adjectives of possibility); and ζῠγόω (zŭgóō) from ζῠγόν (zŭgón, “yoke for joining animals; anything which joins two things together”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- (‘to tie together, join, yoke’)) + -όω (-óō, suffix forming causative or factitive verbs).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ‘to yoke, harness, join’
join, yoga, junction, adjunct, jodi, juncture, jugular, yojana, subjugate, 42 more
through Proto-Indo-European *yugóm ‘yoke’
Today it means
noun A eukaryotic cell formed from the fusion of two gametes (“reproductive cells”) during a fertilization process.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *yewg- / zygote