Where does “phosphate” come from?
Phosphate comes from French phosphate, from the French suffix -ate, from Latin phosphorus, from Ancient Greek φωσφόρος meaning light-bringing, from φέρω meaning to carry or bear.
phosphate (English): Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid; A...
Definitions
- Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid; A...
Ancestry of “phosphate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | phosphate | phosphate |
| 2 | French | phosphore | phosphorus |
| 3 | New Latin | phōsphorus | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Φωσφόρος | the bearer of light |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -φόρος | -bearing, -carrying; carrying, bearing; bringing |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | φέρω | I bring, bear, carry |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰérō | to bear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |
Words derived from “phosphate”