Where does “oncolytic” come from?
Oncolytic comes from English -lytic combined with Latin onco-, which derives from Ancient Greek ὄγκος meaning "swelling" or "mass," traced to Proto-Indo-European h₂ónkos with the nominal suffix -os.
oncolytic (English): That breaks up cancer cells; Any drug or...
Definitions
- That breaks up cancer cells; Any drug or...
Ancestry of “oncolytic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lytic | of, relating to, or causing lysis; of or relating... |
| 2 | English | lysis | A gradual recovery from disease; The... |
| 3 | Latin | lysis | loosening; rupture |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λύσις | loosing, releasing, release, ransoming;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |