Etymograph

English

limbate

Limbate comes from Latin limbātus ‘edged, bordered’, and goes back to limbus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElimbus1‘edge, border’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElimbātus1‘edged, bordered’
  3. Englishtodaylimbate1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English limbate

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElimbusWiktionary, English limbate‘edge, border’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElimbātusWiktionary, English limbate‘edged, bordered’
  3. EnglishtodaylimbateWiktionary, English limbate

first attested First attested in 1826 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in 1826; borrowed from Latin limbātus, from limbus (‘edge, border’), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin limbus ‘edge, border’

limbo, limbic, 3 more

Today it means

adj Having a distinct edge, especially one of a different colour; bordered.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “limbate”. 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 / Latin limbus / limbate

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