Cicada
/sɪˈkɑː.də/noun
A large, loud insect known for the males' buzzing songs.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin cicada, and its ancient Greek ancestor likely imitated the insect’s sharp, repetitive call, making it one of those rare words that may have been born as pure sound-symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kei- / *kik-
“An onomatopoeic root imitating a sharp, repeated sound”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tettix
“A cicada; a singing insect”
Latin
Latin
cicada
“A cicada”
Old French
Old French
cicade
“A cicada”
16th Century
English
cicada
“A cicada, especially in learned or scientific usage”
Modern English
English
cicada
“A large, loud insect known for the males' buzzing songs”