Where does “bioassay” come from?
Bioassay comes from English bio- (life, from Ancient Greek βίο-, from Ancient Greek βίος meaning life) combined with assay (from Latin ago meaning to drive or act, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-).
bioassay (English): The analysis of the biological activity of a...
Definitions
- The analysis of the biological activity of a...
Ancestry of “bioassay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | assay | Trial, attempt; Examination and determination;... |
| 2 | Middle English | assay | Examining; investigation, looking into, research;... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | assaier | Alternative form of essaier |
| 4 | Old French | essai | trial |
| 5 | Late Latin | exagium | weight; weighing, testing on the balance;... |
| 6 | Latin | exigō | to drive out; expel |
| 7 | Latin | agō | to act, to behave |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | agō | drive; push, impel; do, act |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |