Draft:Ecdyse

Etymology

The verb ecdyse (meaning to shed an outer layer or exoskeleton) is derived via back-formation from the noun ecdysis, which has its roots in Ancient Greek:

• Ancient Greek roots: From the verb ἐκδύω (ekdúō), meaning "to strip off" or "to undress." This is a compound of:
  • The prefix ἐκ (ek), meaning "out" or "out of."
  • The verb δύω (dúō), meaning "to plunge," "to enter," or "to don (clothing)." Thus, the literal sense is "to slip out of" something.
• Derivative noun: From the verb, the Ancient Greek noun ἔκδυσις (ékdysis) was formed, meaning "a shedding," "escape," or "removal."
• New Latin adoption: In the 19th century, the term was adapted into New Latin as ecdysis to specifically denote the biological process of shedding the cuticle or exoskeleton in arthropods and reptiles.
• Modern English verb: The English verb ecdyse was later created as a back-formation from the noun ecdysis.

Related terms

The same Greek root is the origin of the humorous term ecdysiast (a striptease performer), coined by American journalist and linguist H. L. Mencken in 1940 to provide a more "scientific-sounding" name for the profession.