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Where does the word "mollusk" come from? It comes from Latin molluscus, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).
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Where does the word "mollusk" come from? It comes from Latin molluscus, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).
Mollusk’s story begins in Latin: molluscus meant “soft.” Soft, from mollis (soft). It reached English by 1830s as mollusk. Latin 'mollis', soft; Cuvier named the group Mollusca in 1798. Today, mollusk means a soft-bodied invertebrate, often protected by a shell, such as a snail or clam.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient molluscus "soft", soft, from mollis (soft).
- Stage 2 · English · 1830s mollusk "a soft-bodied animal, often with a shell", Latin 'mollis', soft; Cuvier named the group Mollusca in 1798.