English
iliac
Iliac comes from Latin īliacus ‘colicky’, from īle ‘the part of the abdomen extending from the…’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to roll, to undulate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-1‘to roll, to undulate’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἴλω1eílō‘to roll up, pack close’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰλέω1eiléōuncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰλεός1eileósuncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīle1‘the part of the abdomen extending from the lowest ribs to the pubes’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīliacus1‘colicky’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentiliaque1
- Englishearliest quotation 1989iliac1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English iliac
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1989, Antonio Strano, Salvatore Novo: “Five of the 16 patients required simultaneous FF bypass…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-Wiktionary, English iliac‘to roll, to undulate’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἴλωWiktionary, English iliaceílō‘to roll up, pack close’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰλέωWiktionary, English iliaceiléōuncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἰλεόςWiktionary, English iliaceileósuncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīleWiktionary, English iliac‘the part of the abdomen extending from the lowest ribs to the pubes’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīliacusWiktionary, English iliac‘colicky’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentiliaqueWiktionary, English iliac
- Englishearliest quotation 1989iliacWiktionary, English iliac. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1989, Antonio Strano, Salvatore Novo: “Five of the 16 patients required simultaneous FF bypass…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to roll, to undulate’
well, walk, wall, volume, revolution, evolution, involve, valve, vault, evolve, revolt, vulgar, waltz, convoluted, divulge, voluminous, vagrant, vulva, wale, gauche, convolution, vulgate, involution, voluble, valvular, valise, 75 more
through Ancient Greek εἰλέω
through Latin īle ‘the part of the abdomen extending from the…’
Today it means
adj Relating to the ilium.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “iliac”. 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 *welH- / iliac