pterodactyl
Meaningwing finger
Common meaning: a flying reptile with a winged finger
- ptera feather, wingLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 1339 · scan
- dactyla fingerLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 173 · scan
‘a feather, wing’ + ‘a finger’ → pterodactyl
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- pter — Greek πτερόν “a feather, wing” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- dactyl — Greek δάκτυλος “a finger” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.
- US IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.
Origin: Built on Greek πτερόν ‘a feather, wing’ + Greek δάκτυλος ‘a finger’.
Roots
Related words
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