commensalism etymology

Etymology

The word "commensalism" is derived from two Latin words:

• "cum mensa" meaning "sharing a table"
• "-ism" meaning "condition" or "state"

Meaning

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits from the association, while the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Origin

The term "commensalism" was first coined by the French naturalist Pierre Joseph van Beneden in 1876 to describe the relationship between certain marine animals that lived on the bodies of larger animals. He used the term to refer to any situation in which one organism derives benefits from the association, while the other experiences no noticeable effects.

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