Where does “hydrogen” come from?
Hydrogen derives from French hydrogène, combining Ancient Greek ὕδωρ meaning water with Ancient Greek δεύτερος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning to produce or beget.
hydrogen (English): The lightest chemical element (symbol H), with an atomic number of 1 and atomic weight of 1.008
Definitions
- The lightest chemical element (symbol H), with an atomic number of 1 and atomic weight of 1.008
Ancestry of “hydrogen”, step by step
hydrogen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French hydrogène
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | hydrogène | hydrogen; first-person singular present... |
| 2 | French | -gène | -gen, -genic |
| 3 | Latin | -genus | born from, sprung form |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -γενής | born in a certain place or condition; of a kind |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -είᾱ | Superficially appears in abstract nouns derived from σ-stem adjectives, with the true suffix being |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ής | adjective suffix |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |