Where does “antigen” come from?
Antigen comes from French anti- combined with English gene, which derives from Ancient Greek γενεά meaning "generation" or "origin."
antigen (English): A substance that induces an immune response,...
Definitions
- A substance that induces an immune response,...
Ancestry of “antigen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | antigène | antigen |
| 2 | French | gène | gene |
| 3 | Middle French | gehenne | — |
| 4 | Old French | gehine | punishment resulting from admission of guilt;... |
| 5 | Old French | gehir | to admit, confess, acknowledge |
| 6 | Frankish | jehhjan | to say, confess |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | jehaną | to speak, say, express |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yék-e-ti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yek- | to utter |