Where does “X-ray” come from?

X-ray (English) 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-ray (English): Short wavelength electromagnetic radiation...

Definitions

  1. Short wavelength electromagnetic radiation...

Ancestry of “X-ray”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanX-StrahlX-ray
2Germanstrahlbeam, ray (e.g. of light)
3Middle High Germanstrālearrow, beam
4Old High Germanstrālaarrow, lightning bolt
5Proto-Germanic*strālu—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstrēl-arrow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “X-ray”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →