Where does “ethanol” come from?

Ethanol derives from English, ultimately tracing through French alcohol and Arabic كحل to Aramaic כוחלא, originally denoting a powdered cosmetic for darkening the eyes.

ethanol (English): A simple aliphatic alcohol formally derived from...

Definitions

  1. A simple aliphatic alcohol formally derived from...

Ancestry of “ethanol”, step by step

ethanol traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ethane

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishethaneAn aliphatic hydrocarbon, CH, gaseous at normal...
2Swedishänstill, yet; no matter; than; in comparisons,...
3EnglishonIn the state of being active, functioning or...
4Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
5Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
6Proto-West Germanicanaon
7Proto-Germanic*an
8Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via English alcohol

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishalcoholAny of a class of organic compounds containing a...
2FrenchalcoholAlternative spelling of alcool
3Medieval Latinalcoholpowdered ore of antimony; kohl, collyrium,...
4Arabicكحلantimony; kohl, stibnite; black coloring of the...
5Arabicكُحْلantimony; kohl, stibnite
6Akkadianguḫlumkohl, antimony paste

Words derived from “ethanol

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en-
ethanol — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer