Where does “鴉片” come from?
鴉片 (Chinese) comes from Ancient Greek ὄπιον, from Ancient Greek ὀπός, from Proto-Indo-European sokʷós, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.
鴉片 (Chinese): opium
Ancestry of “鴉片”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ὄπιον | poppy juice, opium |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὀπός | juice, vegetable/plant juice; fig-juice |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | sokʷós | juice of plants |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |