Where does “biodegradable” come from?
Biodegradable comes from English degrade combined with the prefix bio-, from Ancient Greek βίος meaning "life," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós.
biodegradable (English): Capable of being decomposed by biological...
Definitions
- Capable of being decomposed by biological...
Ancestry of “biodegradable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bio- | life; organic life |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | βίο- | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | βίος | life |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Γένεσις | — |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | génetis | origin, source |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
Words derived from “biodegradable”