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Where does the word "ovum" come from? It comes from Latin ovum, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
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Where does the word "ovum" come from? It comes from Latin ovum, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
Ovum’s story begins in Latin: ovum meant “egg.” Related to Greek 'ōion'. It reached English by 1700s as ovum. 'oval' shares the root. Today, ovum means a female reproductive cell.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient ovum "egg", related to Greek 'ōion'.
- Stage 2 · English · 1700s ovum "egg cell", 'oval' shares the root.