Where does “photon” come from?
Photon derives from Ancient Greek φῶς meaning light, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂- meaning to shine or glow, with the English noun suffix -on.
photon (English): The quantum of light and other electromagnetic...
Definitions
- The quantum of light and other electromagnetic...
Ancestry of “photon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | photo- | light, electromagnetic radiation; photography |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | φωτο- | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | φῶς | Attic form of φᾰ́ος |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰáos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéh₂os | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |
Words derived from “photon”