cornea

Where does the word "cornea" come from? It comes from Latin cornu, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Cornea’s story begins in Latin: cornu meant “horn.” The cornea was named for its horn-like transparency. Within Latin, it grew into corneus by ancient. Horny, made of horn, describing the eye's tough, translucent covering. It reached English by 1400s as cornea. Settled as the English word for the transparent outer layer of the eye. Today, cornea means the transparent outer layer at the front of the eye.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cornu "horn", the cornea was named for its horn-like transparency.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient corneus "horny, horn-like", horny, made of horn, describing the eye's tough, translucent covering.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s cornea "the transparent outer layer covering the eye", settled as the English word for the transparent outer layer of the eye.