Where does “biophysics” come from?
Biophysics derives from English biology and physics, with biology from Ancient Greek βίος meaning "life" and φυσικός meaning "of nature," ultimately from Ancient Greek φύω and Proto-Indo-European roots gʷeih₃w- and bʰuH-.
biophysics (English): The interdisciplinary science that applies...
Definitions
- The interdisciplinary science that applies...
Ancestry of “biophysics”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | physics | The branch of science concerned with the study of... |
| 2 | English | physic | Relating to or concerning existent materials;... |
| 3 | Middle English | fysike | — |
| 4 | Old French | fisike | natural science, art of healing |
| 5 | Latin | physica | natural sciences; natural philosophy; physics;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | φυσικός | natural, produced or caused by nature, inborn,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | φύσις | origin, birth; nature, quality, property; later,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | φύω | To bring forth, produce, generate, cause to grow;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰuHyéti | to be becoming, to be growing, to be appearing |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |