April theme: Dinosaurs and Friends🦕
Teaser
horn, unicorn, cheer, migraine, carrot, Triceratops
Full Text
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Proto-Afro-Asiatic
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Egyptian *qar- horn
- Egyptian qr.tj horns (dual)
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Semitic *qarn- horn
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Central Semitic
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Arabic قَرْن qarn horn, century
- Maltese qarn horn
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Northwest Semitic
- Aramaic קַרְנָא
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Canaanite
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Hebrew קֶרֶן qéren horn, antler, light beam, corner, keratin
- Hebrew חַד קֶרֶן ẖad-qéren unicorn
- Phoenician 𐤍𐤓𐤒 qrn
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- Ugaritic 𐎖𐎗𐎐 qrn horn
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East Semitic
- Akkadian 𒋛 qarnu horn
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South Semitic
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Ethiopic
- Amharic ቀንድ ḳänd horn
- Tigrinya ቀርኒ ḳärni horn
- Amharic ቀንድ ḳänd horn
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱer(h₂)- horn, head, top
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nó-s horn
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Anatolian
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Luwian zurni
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Persian سرنا sornâ zurna (woodwind instrument)
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Ottoman Turkish زورنا zurnâ zurna
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Turkish zurna
- English zurna
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Middle Chinese
- Cantonese 嗩吶 so2 naap6 suona, zurna
Mandarian 嗩吶 suǒnà suona, zurna
- English suona
- Cantonese 嗩吶 so2 naap6 suona, zurna
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Balto-Slavic *śírˀnāˀ horn, roe deer
- Lithuanian stìrna roe deer
Slavic *sьrna roe deer, chamois
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East Slavic сьрна sĭrna
- Russian се́рна sérna chamois
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South Slavic
- Serbo-Croatian ср́на sŕna roe deer
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West Slavic
- Polish sarna roe deer
- Lithuanian stìrna roe deer
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Celtic *karnos
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Brythonic
- Welsh carn hoof, handle, cairn, barrow
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Gaulish *carnos
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Ancient Greek κάρνυξ κάρνυξ Celtic war-horn, carnyx
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Latin carnyx Gaulish war-horn, carnyx
- English carnyx
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Old Irish carn
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Scottish Gaelic carn
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Scots cairn
- English cairn
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Celtic *karnonos augmentative ~"great horn"?
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Gaulish Carnonos Horned God
- Helleno-Celtic καρνονου karnonou of the Horned God
- Gallo-Latin [C]ernunnos Horned God
- Helleno-Celtic καρνονου karnonou of the Horned God
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Germanic *hurną horn
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East Germanic
- Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 haurn horn
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North Germanic ᚺᛟᚱᚾᚨ horna horn [1]
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Old Norse horn horn, corner, angle
- Danish horn horn
- Icelandic horn horn, fin, corner, angle
- Danish horn horn
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West Germanic
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Old English horn horn
- English horn
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Frankish
- Dutch hoorn horn
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Old High German horn horn
- German Horn horn
- Yiddish האָרן horn horn
- German Horn horn
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Germanic *hurnijǭ little horn, hook, corner
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North Germanic
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Old Norse hyrna
- Danish hjørne corner, nook, niche, node
- Icelandic hyrna tetrahedron, simplex
- Danish hjørne corner, nook, niche, node
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West Germanic
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Old English hyrne horn, corner, angle
- Scots hirn corner, nook, hiding place
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Indo-Iranian *ĉr̥Hngám
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Indo-Aryan *śr̥Hngám
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Sanskrit शृङ्ग śṛṅgá horn, tusk, peak
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Magadhi
- Bengali শিঙা śiṅa horn
- Pali siṅga
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Sauraseni 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀕 siṃga
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Madhya
- Hindi सींग sīṅg horn
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West Indo-Aryan
- Romani shing horn
- Telugu శృంగము śr̥ṅgamu horn, trumpet, peak, syringe
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Italic
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Latin cornū horn, antler, tusk
- Sardinian corru
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Eastern Romance
- Dalmatian cuarno horn
- Romanian corn horn
- Dalmatian cuarno horn
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Western Romance
- French cor horn (instrument)
- Italian corno horn
- Spanish cuerno horn, croissant
- Italian corno horn
- French cor horn (instrument)
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Vulgar Latin *corna
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Western Romance
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French corne
- English corner
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French cornet cone, post horn, cornet, inkhorn
- English cornet
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Latin corneus of horn, horn-like
- English cornea
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Latin cornūcōpia
- English cornucopia
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Latin ūnicornis one-horned, unicorn
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Western Romance
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Old French unicorne
- French licorne [2]
- English unicorn
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱérh₂sō
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Germanic *hirzniją brain
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West Germanic
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Old Saxon *hirsina
- Dutch hersenen brain
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Germanic *hernô
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North Germanic
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Old Norse hjarni brain
- Danish hjerne brain
- Icelandic hjarni cerebrum
- Danish hjerne brain
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West Germanic
- Old English hærn brain
Old High German hirni brain
- German (Ge)Hirn brain
- Old English hærn brain
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Hellenic
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Ancient Greek κᾰ́ρᾱ kárā head, face, top, person
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Vulgar Latin cara
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Western Romance
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Old French chiere
- French chère face
- English cheer
- French chère face
- Spanish cara face, impudence, heads (on a coin)
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Ancient Greek κρᾱνῐ́ον krāníon
- Greek κρανίο kranío cranium, skull
Latin cranium cranium, skull
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Western Romance
- French crâne cranium, skull
- Italian cranio cranium, skull
- Spanish cráneo cranium, skull
- Italian cranio cranium, skull
- French crâne cranium, skull
- English cranium
Ancient Greek ἡμικρανία hēmikranía headache lit. "half-skull", calque of Egyptian gs-tp
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Latin hēmicrānia headache, migraine
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Western Romance
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French migraine
- English migraine
- Italian micragna poverty, troubles
- Spanish migraña migraine
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- Greek κρανίο kranío cranium, skull
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Ancient Greek καρῶτον karôton
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Latin carōta carrot
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Western Romance
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French carotte carrot
- English carrot
- Italian carota carrot, core, core sample
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Indo-Iranian *ĉr̥Hšá
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Indo-Aryan *śr̥Hṣá
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Sanskrit शीर्ष śīrṣá head, skull
- Sanskrit शीर्षासन śīrṣāsana head-stand
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱŕ̥h₂esnh₂ collective plural
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Hellenic
- Ancient Greek κάρηνᾰ kárēna (mountain) peaks
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱérh₂-os
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Hellenic kéras
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Ancient Greek κέρᾰς kéras horn
- Greek κέρας kéras horn
Ancient Greek ῥῑνόκερως rhīnókerōs rhinoceros lit. "nose-horn"
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Latin rhīnocerōs rhinoceros
- English rhinoceros
Translingual Ceratops an obsolete genus name of Ceratopsians
- Translingual Ceratopsia the Ceratopsians, a suborder of Ornithician dinosaurs
- Translingual Triceratops a genus of Ceratopsians lit. "three horn face"
- Greek κέρας kéras horn
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱŕ̥h₂-os
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Old Armenian սար sar tip, top, summit, mountain
- Armenian սար sar mountain
- Georgian სერი seri hill
- Armenian սար sar mountain
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Indo-Iranian *ĉr̥Has
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Indo-Aryan *śr̥Has
- Sanskrit शिर śira head, skull, top, peak
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Iranian *ĉr̥Hah
- Avestan *sāra head
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱerw-ós deer, stag lit. "horned"
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Balto-Slavic
- Old Prussian sirwis
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Finno-Ugric *širwas
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Finnic *hirvas bull elk, reindeer bull
- Finnish hirvas stag, reindeer stag
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Samic *sërvēs
- Northern Sami sarvvis reindeer bull
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Finno-Ugric *širwe
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Finnic *hirvi
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Finnish hirvi elk, moose, any large deer
- Finnish hirvieläin deer, cervid zoological
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Samic *sërvë elk, moose
- Northern Sami sarva moose
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Celtic *karwos
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Brythonic *karw
- Welsh carw deer, hart, stag, nobleman, patron
- Gaulish caruus
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Old Irish carbh
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Old Irish *carb-fíad approx. "wild deer"
- Irish cairfhiadh stag, hart
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Indo-Iranian *ĉr̥Hwás horn
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Iranian *ĉr̥Hwáh horn
- Avestan sruuā
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Northern Iranian
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Saka
- Khotani (ṣ)ṣu-
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Scythian
- Ossetian сы sy
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Western Iranian
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Northwestern Iranian
- Kurdish strū horn
Parthian
- Old Armenian սրուակ sruak
- Kurdish strū horn
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Old Persian
- Persian سرو sarū horn, nail
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Italic
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Latin cervus deer, stag
- Sardinian cherbu
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Eastern Romance
- Romanian cerb deer
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Western Romance
- French cerf stag, hart
- Italian cervo deer, stag
- Spanish ciervo deer, stag
- Italian cervo deer, stag
- French cerf stag, hart
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Translingual Cervus a taxonomic genus of deer
- Translingual Cervidae a taxonomic family of deer
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Latin cervārius of deer
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Eastern Romance
- Romanian cerbar stag beetle
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Latin lupus cervārius lynx lit. "deer wolf"
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Eastern Romance
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Dalmatian
- Albanian rrëqebull lynx
- Albanian luqerbull werewolf
- Albanian rrëqebull lynx
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Western Romance
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French loup-cervier
- English lusern
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱórh₂weh₂
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Balto-Slavic *kórˀwāˀ
- Lithuanian kárvė cow
Slavic *kòrva cow
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East Slavic корова korova
- Russian коро́ва koróva cow
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South Slavic
- Serbo-Croatian крȁва krȁva cow
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West Slavic
- Polish krowa cow
- Lithuanian kárvė cow
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂srom
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Italic *kerazrom
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Latin cerebrum brain, skull
- English cerebrum
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French cerebrum
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French cérébral cerebral
- English cerebral
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- Italian cerebro cerebrum, brain
- Spanish cerebro brain, nerd
Latin cerebellum
- Sardinian cerbedhu
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Eastern Romance
- Dalmatian carviale brain
- Romanian creier brain, intelligence, mind
- Dalmatian carviale brain
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Western Romance
- French cerveau brain
- Italian cervello brain, mind
- French cerveau brain
- English cerebellum
- Spanish cerebro brain, nerd
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Proto-Indo-European *kr̥h₂s-ḗr hornet
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Balto-Slavic *śirˀšō hornet
- Lithuanian širšė hornet
Slavic *sьrxy hornet
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East Slavic шьршень šĭršenĭ
- Russian ше́ршень šéršenʹ hornet
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South Slavic
- Old Church Slavonic сръшень srŭšenĭ
- Serbo-Croatian стр̏ш(љ)ен stȑš(lj)en hornet
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West Slavic
- Polish szerszeń hornet
Finno-Ugric *šerši
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Finnic *heršilainen [3]
- Estonian herilane wasp
- Finnish herhiläinen hornet
- Estonian herilane wasp
- Lithuanian širšė hornet
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Germanic *hurznutō hornet
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West Germanic
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Old English hyrnetu
- English hornet
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Frankish *horneta
- Dutch hoorntje hornet
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Old High German hurniz
- German Hornisse hornet
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Italic *krāzrō
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Latin crābrō hornet
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Western Romance
- Italian calabrone hornet
- Spanish cambrón
- Italian calabrone hornet
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Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂onow-os head-nodding
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Italic *keronowos
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Latin cernuus bowed, falling over
- Latin cernuō I fall over, I tumble
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Visual
Collected English words
zurna, suona, carnyx, cairn, horn, corner, cornet, cornea, cornucopia, unicorn, cheer, cranium, migraine, carrot, rhinoceros, Ceratops, Ceratopsia, Triceratops, Cervus, Cervidae, lusern, cerebrum, cerebral, cerebellum, hornet
Footnotes
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We have ᚺᛟᚱᚾᚨ horna in Proto-Norse (or Proto-North Germanic) via the one of the Golden Horns of Gallehus (5th C Denmark). It bore the inscription, ᛖᚲᚺᛚᛖᚹᚨᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ᛬ᚺᛟᛚᛏᛁᛃᚨᛉ᛬ᚺᛟᚱᚾᚨ᛬ᛏᚨᚹᛁᛞᛟ᛬: "I Hlewagastiz Holtijaz made the horn".
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Old French unicorne was re-analyzed as containing an indefinite article: une icorne. It was then re-analyzed again collapsing the article back into the word, but this time with a definite article instead: l'icorne, eventually becoming the modern French licorne.
On the other hand, Italian for "unicorn" is liocorno, and the standard story there is that it is a blending of lione ("lion") and unicorno. I am suspicious of the idea that French and Italian could have two totally different paths to very similar words.
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Somewhat bizarrely, Finnic adapted the borrowed *šerši from some Baltic language to later *šeršilainen, with the -lainen suffix, which is usually "inhabitant of a place" and related concepts (suffix is a compound of -la-, a topynymic suffix, plus -inen, an associative adjective suffix). So Finnish herhiläinen is perhaps "one from Hornet-Land", or perhaps "member of the Hornet Party"??