planula (English)

Where does "planula" come from?

The English noun 'planula' was borrowed directly from the Latin 'plānula'[1]. In Latin, this form functioned as a diminutive of the word 'plāna', meaning plane[1].

Full etymology tree

• planula (English), 'In embryonic development, a vesicle filled with fluid, formed from the morula by the divergence of its cells in such a manner as to give rise to a central space, around which the cells arrange themselves as an envelope; an embryonic form intermediate between the morula and gastrula.'
  • borrowed plānula (Latin)
    • derived plana (Latin), 'smoothing plane'

Descendants and derived words

• planular (English)
• planulate (English)
• planulate (English)
• planuliform (English)
• planuloid (English)

Sources

1. planula (English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris