Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “amorphous” come from?

Amorphous comes from Ancient Greek ἄμορφος, composed of the negation prefix ἀ- and a root from Proto-Indo-European n̥- and sem-.

amorphous (English): Lacking a definite form or clear shape; Being...

Definitions

  1. Lacking a definite form or clear shape; Being...

Ancestry of “amorphous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekἄμορφοςmisshapen, ugly; formless, shapeless
2Ancient Greekἀ-The alpha privativum, used to make words that...
3Proto-Hellenichə-same; together
4Proto-Indo-Europeansm̥-one; with, together
5Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one

Words derived from “amorphous”

  • amorphousness
  • amorphously
  • polyamorphous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sem- →