Ant
/ænt/noun
A small social insect of the family Formicidae.
Did you know?English *ant* descends from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning simply “insect,” which makes it one of the oldest everyday creature names still buzzing through modern speech.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁óh₂nt-s
“insect, ant”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ainaz / *am(i)z?
“the inherited Germanic form of the insect name”
Old English
English
æmette
“ant”
Middle English
English
ante / aunte
“ant”
Modern English
English
ant
“a small social insect”