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u·rae·us

(y-rēəs)

The figure of the sacred serpent, an emblem of sovereignty depicted on the headdress of ancient Egyptian rulers and deities.

[New Latin ūraeus, from Late Greek ouraios, cobra, perhaps alteration (influenced by Greek ouraios, of the tail) of Egyptian y'rt.]

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uraeus

mural painting of Thutmosis IV from the Tomb of Thutmosis IV in the Valley of the Kings

Thebes, Egypt

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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