Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “photosynthesis” come from?

Photosynthesis comes from English synthesis and Ancient Greek φῶς meaning light, combined with Greek συντίθημι meaning to put together, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning to put or place.

photosynthesis (English): Any process by which plants and other...

Definitions

  1. Any process by which plants and other...

Ancestry of “photosynthesis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsynthesisThe formation of something complex or coherent by...
2LatinsynthesisA collection or reunion of many objects of...
3Ancient Greekσύνθεσιςa putting together, composition, combination,...
4Ancient Greekσυντίθημιto assemble, put together
5Ancient Greekσῠν-together; with, together
6Ancient Greekσύνbeside, with
7Proto-Hellenic*ksún—

Words derived from “photosynthesis”

  • photosynthetron
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *ksún →