Where does “antiseptic” come from?
Antiseptic comes from English anti- and septic, septic from Latin septem, which derives from Ancient Greek ἀντί and σήπειν meaning "to rot," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- and h₂en-.
antiseptic (English): Of, or relating to antisepsis, or the use of...
Definitions
- Of, or relating to antisepsis, or the use of...
Ancestry of “antiseptic”, step by step
antiseptic traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English septic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | septic | Of or pertaining to sepsis; Causing sepsis or... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | σηπτικός | putrefactive, septic |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σηπτός | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σήπω | I make rotten or putrid; I rot, moulder |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σήψ | putrefying sore; a kind of lizard, also a kind of... |
via French antiseptique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | antiseptique | antiseptic (substance that inhibits the growth of microorganisms) |
via Catalan sèptic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalan | sèptic | septic |