chaeta

noun

chae·​ta ˈkē-tə 

plural chaetae ˈkē-ˌtē 

: bristle, seta

chaetal

ˈkē-tᵊl 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek chaítē "growth of hair, flowing locks, mane of a horse," going back to Indo-European *g^hai̯t- "growth of hair," whence also, from a presumed s-stem *g^hai̯tes-, Middle Irish gaísid "coarse stubbly hair, bristles," gaísitech "coarse-haired, bristly," Avestan gaēsa- "curly hair," gaēsu- "curly-haired"

Note: A reconstruction *g^hai̯t- is unsatisfactory for those who reject the possibility of Indo-European *a and would require a mechanical reconstruction with a laryngeal, as *g^heh₂it- or *g^hh₂ei̯t-.

First Known Use

circa 1866, in the meaning defined above