Aestivation
/ˌiː.stɪˈveɪ.ʃən/noun
A period of dormancy or reduced activity during hot or dry weather, especially in animals or plants.
Did you know?The word ultimately connects with ancient terms for burning heat, linking summer dormancy to the same linguistic family as Greek words associated with fire and the upper sky.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*aidh-es-
“Burning heat or fire; a reconstructed root associated with glowing or burning.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aithein
“To burn or blaze.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aithēr
“The bright upper air or sky, imagined as fiery and pure.”
Classical Latin
Latin
aestas
“Summer; the hot season.”
Classical Latin
Latin
aestivare
“To spend the summer.”
19th Century
English
aestivation
“The act or state of passing the summer, later specialized to seasonal dormancy in biology.”