Where does “phytoplankton” come from?
Phytoplankton derives from Ancient Greek φυτόν, meaning plant, from φύω meaning to grow, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- meaning to grow or appear.
phytoplankton (English): Plankton which obtain energy by photosynthesis
Definitions
- Plankton which obtain energy by photosynthesis
Ancestry of “phytoplankton”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | phyto- | Pertaining to or derived from plants |
| 2 | English | zoön | Alternative spelling of zoon |
| 3 | New Latin | zōon | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ζῷον | animal, beast; form, image |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | ďṓyyon | animal, creature, beast |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | gʷyōwyon | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷyeh₃w-y-om | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷíh₃weti | to live, to be alive |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |