Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “collagen” come from?

Collagen comes from French collagène, derived from Ancient Greek κόλλα meaning glue, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kol-.

collagen (English): Any of more than 28 types of glycoprotein that...

Definitions

  1. Any of more than 28 types of glycoprotein that...

Ancestry of “collagen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcollagènecollagenous; collagen
2Ancient Greekκόλλαglue; flour paste
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱol-thorn, thorny plant
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “collagen”

  • collagenase
  • collagenous
  • procollagen
  • noncollagenous
  • collagenic
  • collagenization
  • collagenolysis
  • collagenopathy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →