Etymograph

English

cnida

Cnida comes from Ancient Greek κνίδη ‘stinging nettle’, from κνίζω ‘scratch or gash’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ken-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ken-1‘to scratch’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kneyd-1‘to scratch, knock’uncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκνίζω2knízō‘scratch or gash’uncertain
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκνίδη3knídē‘stinging nettle’
  5. Englishtodaycnida3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κνίζω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κνίδη, which cites Beekes
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English cnida

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ken-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κνίζω‘to scratch’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kneyd-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κνίζω‘to scratch, knock’uncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκνίζωWiktionary, Ancient Greek κνίδη, which cites Beekesknízō‘scratch or gash’uncertain
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκνίδηWiktionary, English cnidaknídē‘stinging nettle’
  5. EnglishtodaycnidaWiktionary, English cnida

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ken- ‘to scratch’

recent, nod, incinerate, nosh, recency, cinerea, nookie, 19 more

Today it means

noun A nematocyst.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “cnida”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek κνίζω, Ancient Greek κνίδη. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ken- / cnida

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