Where does “diatomist” come from?
diatomist (English) comes from English diatom, from English atom, from Middle English attome, from Middle French athome, from Latin atomus, from Ancient Greek ἄτομος, from Ancient Greek ἀ-, from Proto-Hellenic hə- — together, one.
diatomist (English): A phycologist who studies diatoms
Definitions
- A phycologist who studies diatoms
Ancestry of “diatomist”, step by step
diatomist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English diatom
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | diatom | Any of a group of minute unicellular algae having... |
| 2 | English | atom | The smallest possible amount of matter which... |
| 3 | Middle English | attome | atom |
| 4 | Middle French | athome | atom |
| 5 | Latin | atomus | indivisible; an atom, particle incapable of being... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἄτομος | uncut; indivisible, not capable of being... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
via English ist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ist | A practitioner or supporter of an ism |
| 2 | English | -ist | Added to words to form nouns denoting |
| 3 | Old French | -iste | — |
| 4 | Latin | -ista | -ist; one who practises or believes |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ιστής | Alternative form of -τής; -ist |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τής | Appended to verbs to form agent nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tās | — |