Etymology
Advertisement

caldera (n.)

"cavity on the summit of a volcano," 1865, from Spanish caldera, literally "cauldron, kettle," from Latin caldarium "hot-bath" (plural caldaria), from caldarius "pertaining to warming," from calidus "warm, hot" (from PIE root *kele- (1) "warm"). A doublet of cauldron.

The term was originally used in describing volcanic regions occurring where Spanish is the current language, and was introduced by Von Buch in his description of the Canaries. [Century Dictionary]

Entries linking to caldera

*kele- (1)

kelə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "warm." It forms all or part of: caldera; calid; Calor; caloric; calorie; calorimeter; cauldron; caudle; chafe; chauffeur; chowder; coddle; lee; lukewarm; nonchalant; scald (v.) "afflict painfully with hot liquid or steam."

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit carad- "harvest," literally "hot time;" Latin calor "heat," calidus "warm," calere "be hot;" Lithuanian šilti "become warm," šilus "August;" Old Norse hlær, Old English hleow "warm."

cauldron (n.)

"very large kettle or boiler," c. 1300, caudron, from Anglo-French caudrun, Old North French cauderon (Old French chauderon "cauldron, kettle"), from augmentative of Late Latin caldaria "cooking pot" (source of Spanish calderon, Italian calderone), from Latin calidarium "hot bath," from calidus "warm, hot" (from PIE root *kele- (1) "warm"). The -l- was inserted 15c. in imitation of Latin.

updated on December 27, 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement

Dictionary entries near caldera

calculation

calculator

calculous

calculus

Calcutta

caldera

caldron

Caleb

Caledonia

calendar

calender

© 2001-2023 Douglas Harper