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Origin and history of viviparous

viviparous(adj.)

"bringing forth young alive," not by hatching an external egg but from an egg separated from the mother hatching inside her body, as contrasted to oviparous; 1640s, from Late Latin viviparus "bringing forth alive," from Latin vivus "alive, living" (see vivid) + parire "bring forth, bear" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, bring forth"). Also see viper. Related: Viviparity.

also from 1640s

Entries linking to viviparous

oviparous(adj.)

"producing eggs that are hatched outside the body of the parent" (opposed to viviparous), 1640s, from Late Latin oviparus "that produces eggs, egg-laying," from Latin ōvum "egg" (see ovum) + stem of parire "to bring forth" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure"). Related: Oviparity.

viper(n.)

early 15c., from Old French vipere, earlier in English as vipera (c. 1200), directly from Latin vipera "viper, snake, serpent," which is a contraction of *vivipera, from vivus "alive, living" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live") + parire "bring forth, bear" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, bring forth"). In common with many snake species in cooler climates, the viper's eggs are in most instances kept inside the mother until hatching. Applied to persons of spiteful character at least since 1590s.

In warm countries they are very dangerous or fatal. It is the only venomous snake found in Great Britain, but the species there is not especially dangerous. Applied in U.S. erroneously to various innocuous snakes. The word replaced native adder.

"The flesh of the viper was formerly regarded as possessing great nutritive or restorative properties, and was frequently used medicinally" [OED, 1989]. The medicinal use was noted by early 15c.; hence viper-wine, wine medicated with some kind of extract from vipers, used 17c. by "gray-bearded gallants" in a bid "to feele new lust, and youthfull flames agin" [Massinger]; also viper-broth (1707), which supposedly was invigorating. Compare snake oil.

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arbiter
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bug
"insect, beetle," 1620s (earliest reference is to bedbugs), of unknown origin, probably (but not certainly) from or influenced by Middle English bugge "something frightening, scarecrow" (late 14c.), a word or meaning that has become obsolete since the "insect" sense arose, except
autumn
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bath
Old English bæð "an immersing of the body in water, mud, etc.," also "a quantity of water, etc., for bathing," from Proto-Germanic *badan (source also of Old Frisian beth, Old Saxon bath, Old Norse bað, Middle Dutch bat, German Bad), from PIE root *bhē- "to warm" + *-thuz, German
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conceit
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aphrodisiac
"preparation or drug which excites sexual desire," 1719, from Latinized form of Greek aphrodisiakos "inducing sexual desire," from Aphrodisios, "sacred to Aphrodite, pertaining to Aphrodite," Greek goddess of love and beauty (see Aphrodite), whose name also meant "sexual pleasure

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