Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-phyll” come from?

-phyll (English) comes from Ancient Greek φύλλον, from Proto-Indo-European bʰolh₃-yom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

-phyll (English): leaf

Definitions

  1. leaf

Ancestry of “-phyll”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekφύλλονleaf; foliage; plant
2Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰolh₃-yom—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “-phyll”

  • mesophyll
  • xanthophyll
  • sclerophyll
  • sporophyll
  • pseudophyllidean
  • microphyll
  • microsporophyll
  • megasporophyll
  • mesophyllic
  • megaphyll
  • erythrophyll
  • cataphyll
  • xanthophyllic
  • carpophyll
  • hypsophyll
  • xanthophyllous
  • Pseudophyllidea
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →