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Origin and history of ossicle

ossicle(n.)

"a small bone; small, hard, bone-like nodule," 1570s, from Latin ossiculum, diminutive of os "bone" (from PIE root *ost- "bone").

also from 1570s

Entries linking to ossicle

*ost-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bone."

It might form all or part of: osseous; ossicle; ossuary; ossifrage; ossify; osteo-; osteology; osteopathy; ostracism; ostracize; oyster; periosteum.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit asthi, Hittite hashtai-, Greek osteon "bone," Greek ostrakon "oyster shell," Avestan ascu- "shinbone," Latin os (genitive ossis) "bone," osseus "bony, of bone," Welsh asgwrn, Armenian oskr, Albanian asht "bone."

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    Trends of ossicle

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

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    Middle English bon, from Old English ban "bone, tusk, hard animal tissue forming the substance of the skeleton; one of the parts which make up the skeleton," from Proto-Germanic *bainan (source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon ben, Old Norse bein, Danish ben, German Bein). Absen
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