Where does “X光” come from?
X光 (Chinese) comes from German X-Strahl, from German strahl, from Middle High German strāle, from Old High German strāla, from Proto-Germanic *strālu, from Proto-Indo-European strēl-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.
X光 (Chinese): X-ray
Ancestry of “X光”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | X-Strahl | — |
| 2 | German | strahl | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | strāle | arrow, beam |
| 4 | Old High German | strāla | arrow, lightning bolt |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *strālu | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | strēl- | arrow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |