Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pitchblende” come from?

pitchblende (English) comes from German Pechblende, from German Pech, from Old High German peh, from Proto-Germanic *pīk, from Latin pix, from Proto-Indo-European pik-, from Proto-Indo-European pi- — sap, juice.

pitchblende (English): Naturally-occurring uranium oxide, a variety of...

Definitions

  1. Naturally-occurring uranium oxide, a variety of...

Ancestry of “pitchblende”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanPechblendepitchblende
2GermanPechpitch; bad luck, misfortune
3Old High Germanpeh—
4Proto-Germanic*pīk—
5Latinpixpitch, tar
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpik-to be angry; pitch; resin
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpi-sap, juice
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pi- →