Where does “cuprous” come from?
Cuprous derives from Latin cuprōsus, formed with the Latin suffix -ōsus (full of, characterized by) applied to Latin cuprum (copper), ultimately from Ancient Greek κυπάρισσος (kupárissos, cypress tree) via its association with the island of Κύπρος (Kúpros, Cyprus).
cuprous (English): Of, or of the nature of, copper; Containing...
Definitions
- Of, or of the nature of, copper; Containing...
Ancestry of “cuprous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | cūprum | — |
| 2 | Latin | cȳprium | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Κύπρος | Cyprus |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ῐος | belonging to; of”, “belonging to”, “pertaining to |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |