Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “orichalcum” come from?

orichalcum (English) comes from Latin orīchalcum, from Ancient Greek ὀρείχαλκος, from Ancient Greek χαλκός, from Latin pȳritēs, from Ancient Greek πῡρίτης λίθος, from Ancient Greek πῦρ, from Proto-Hellenic *pāwər.

orichalcum (English): A valuable yellow metal known to the Ancient...

Definitions

  1. A valuable yellow metal known to the Ancient...

Ancestry of “orichalcum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinorīchalcum—
2Ancient Greekὀρείχαλκοςorichalcum
3Ancient Greekχαλκόςcopper, or copper alloyed with tin, bronze;...
4Latinpȳritēs—
5Ancient Greekπῡρίτης λίθοςstone of fire, flint
6Ancient Greekπῦρa fire; lightning; a fever
7Proto-Hellenic*pāwər—
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *pāwər →