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Origin and history of integumentary

integumentary(adj.)

"covering," as a skin, etc.; "pertaining to integument;" 1824, from integument + -ary. Also integumental (1796).

Entries linking to integumentary

1610s, "that which covers or clothes," from Latin integumentum "a covering," from integere "to cover over," from in- "in, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + tegere "to cover" (from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover"). Specific sense in biology of "that which covers or cloaks an animal or vegetable body as a skin, shell, case, etc." is attested by 1660s.

adjective and noun word-forming element, in most cases from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium "connected with, pertaining to; the man engaged in," from PIE relational adjective suffix *-yo- "of or belonging to."

The neuter of the adjectives in Latin also were often used as nouns (solarium "sundial," vivarium, honorarium, cucumerarium "a cucumber field," etc.). It appears in words borrowed from Latin in Middle English. In later borrowings from Latin to French, it became -aire and passed into Middle English as -arie, subsequently -ary.

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