Where does “carbon” come from?

Carbon comes from French carbone, which derives from Proto-Indo-European ker-, meaning to burn or kindle.

carbon (English): The chemical element with an atomic number of 6....

Definitions

  1. The chemical element with an atomic number of 6....

Ancestry of “carbon”, step by step

carbon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English budget

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbudgetThe amount of money or resources earmarked for a...
2Middle Englishbogett—
3Old Frenchbougette—
4Old Frenchbougesack; purse; small bag
5Latinbulgaknapsack, wallet, satchel; wallet, purse; womb
6Gaulishbolgābag, sack
7Proto-Celticbolgossack, bag; stomach
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

via French carbone

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcarbonecarbon
2Latincarbōcharcoal, coal
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
5Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “carbon”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →