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Origin and history of protozoic

protozoic(adj.)

1838, in geology, in reference to rocks containing fossils of the earliest life on Earth, fromproto- "early, first" + Greekzoe "life" (from PIE root*gwei- "to live") +-ic. Coined by British geologist Adam Sedgwick, who wrote in 1852, "I used the wordProtozoic to prevent any wrangling about the wordsCambrian andSilurian" [Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London].

In zoology by 1861, "of or pertaining to the Protozoa," fromProtozoa +-ic. Alternative adjectives in the biological sense includeProtozoan,Protozoal.

also from 1838

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Protozoa(n.)

"primordial or first-formed animals, cell-animals," 1828, from Modern LatinProtozoa, coined 1818 by German zoologist Georg August Goldfuss (1782-1848) from Greekprōtos "first" (seeproto-) +zoia, plural ofzoion "animal" (from PIE root*gwei- "to live"). Originally including sponges and corals; current sense is from 1845. Related:Protozoon (singular), alsoProtozoön;Protozoan.

*gwei-

also*gweie-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to live."

It might form all or part of:abiogenesis;aerobic;amphibian;anaerobic;azo-;azoic;azotemia;bio-;biography;biology;biome;bionics;biopsy;biota;biotic;cenobite;Cenozoic;convivial;couch (n.2) "grass;"epizoic;epizoon;epizootic;macrobiotic;Mesozoic;microbe;Protozoa;protozoic;quick;quicken;quicksand;quicksilver;quiver (v.) "to tremble;"revive;survive;symbiosis;viable;viand;viper;vita;vital;vitamin;victuals;viva;vivace;vivacious;vivarium;vivid;vivify;viviparous;vivisection;whiskey;wyvern;zodiac;Zoe;zoetrope;zoic;zoo-;zoolatry;zoology;zoon;zoophilia;zoophobia;zooplankton.

It might also be the source of: Sanskritjivah "alive, living;" Old Persian*jivaka- "alive," Middle Persianzhiwak "alive;" Greekbios "one's life, course or way of living, lifetime,"zoe "animal life, organic life;" Old Englishcwic,cwicu "living, alive;" Latinvivus "living, alive,"vita "life;" Old Church Slavoniczivo "to live;" Lithuaniangyvas "living, alive,"gyvata "(eternal) life;" Old Irishbethu "life,"bith "age;" Welshbyd "world."

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Trends of protozoic

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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adequate

1610s, "equal to what is needed or desired, sufficient," from Latin adaequatus "equalized," past participle of adaequare "to make equal to, to level with," from ad "to" (see ad-) + aequare "make level," from aequus "equal, even" (see equal (adj.)). The sense is of being "equal to

confer

1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compar

tuxedo

man's evening dress for semiformal occasions, 1889, named for Tuxedo Park, N.Y., a rural resort development for wealthy New Yorkers and site of a country club where it first was worn, supposedly in 1886. The name is an attractive subject for elaborate speculation, and connections

metastasis

"change of substance, conversion of one substance into another," 1570s, originally in rhetoric, from Late Latin metastasis "transition," from Greek metastasis "a removing, removal; migration; a changing; change, revolution," from methistanai "to remove, change," from meta, here i

salty

mid-15c., salti, "tasting of salt, somewhat salt, impregnated with salt," from salt (n.) + -y (2). The meaning "racy, sexy" is from 1866, from salt in the sense of "that which gives life or pungency" (1570s, originally in reference to words or wit); salt (adj.) also was used of l

emanation

"act of flowing or issuing from an origin; emission; radiation; what issues, flows, or is given out from any substance or body;" 1560s, from Late Latin emanationem (nominative emanatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin emanare "flow out, spring out of," figurati

magic

late 14c., magike, "art of influencing or predicting events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces," also "supernatural art," especially the art of controlling the actions of spiritual or superhuman beings; from Old French magique "magic; magical," from Late Latin magi

adjective

"word used to qualify, limit, or define a noun or noun-like part of speech," late 14c., short for noun adjective, from Old French adjectif (14c.), from Latin adjectivum "that is added to (the noun)," neuter of adjectivus "added," past participle of adicere "throw to, fling at, th

excruciate

"to torture, torment, inflict very severe pain on," as if by crucifying, 1560s, from Latin excruciatus, past participle of excruciare "to torture, torment, rack, plague;" figuratively "to afflict, harass, vex, torment," from ex "out, out from; thoroughly" (see ex-) + cruciare "ca

persevere

"to persist in what one has undertaken, to pursue steadily a design or course," late 14c., perseveren, from Old French perseverer "continue, persevere, endure" and directly from Latin perseverare "continue steadfastly, persist," from persevereus "very strict, earnest," from per "

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https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic">Etymology of protozoic by etymonline</a>

APA Style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of protozoic. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved April 5, 2025, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic

Chicago Style:

Harper Douglas, "Etymology of protozoic," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed April 5, 2025, https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic.

MLA Style:

Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of protozoic." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic. Accessed 5 April, 2025.

IEEE Style:

D. Harper. "Etymology of protozoic." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/protozoic (accessed April 5, 2025).

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Origin and history of protozoic

protozoic(adj.)

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