sargasso
English
/sɑːˈɡæsəʊ/, /sɑɹˈɡæsoʊ/
noun
Definitions
- A brown alga, of the genus Sargassum, that forms large, floating masses.
- (figuratively) Also Sargasso: a confused, tangled mass or situation.
- (biology) A part of an ocean or sea characterized by floating masses of sargassos, like the Sargasso Sea.
Etymology
Derived from Portuguese sargaço (gulfweed, sargasso, the Lisbon false sun-rose woolly rock rose) derived from Latin salicastrum (kind of wild vine found in willow-thickets) derived from Proto-Indo-European *saləḱ-, *salək-.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*salək-
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- salicastrum Latin
- salicem Latin
- salicem, salix Latin
- salix Latin
- sargasso Italian
- sargasse French
- arcazón Spanish, Castilian
- sargazo Spanish, Castilian
- *salək- Proto-Indo-European
- *saləḱ- Proto-Indo-European
- sargaço Portuguese
- *salhô Proto-Germanic
- شكوس Arabic
- شَكْوَس Arabic
- argazo Galician
- chaguazo Galician
- helyg Welsh
- sailech Old Irish