Where does “naphthalene” come from?
Naphthalene derives from naphtha, which comes from Latin naphtha, Ancient Greek νάφθα, Old Persian naftaʰ, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European nebʰ-, meaning to flow or exude.
naphthalene (English): A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from...
Definitions
- A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from...
Ancestry of “naphthalene”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ál | — |
| 2 | English | aldehyde | Any of a large class of reactive organic... |
| 3 | German | Aldehyd | aldehyde |
| 4 | Latin | alcohol | kohl, collyrium, stibium; any other powder... |
| 5 | Andalusian Arabic | كُحُول | — |
| 6 | Arabic | كحل | antimony; kohl, stibnite; black coloring of the... |
| 7 | Arabic | كُحْل | antimony; kohl, stibnite |
| 8 | Akkadian | guḫlum | — |
Words derived from “naphthalene”