Where does “diatomite” come from?
diatomite (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.
diatomite (English): A fine, powdery earth formed from the skeletons...
Definitions
- A fine, powdery earth formed from the skeletons...
Ancestry of “diatomite”, step by step
diatomite 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 French diatomée
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | diatomée | diatom |