Where does “polymorphonuclear” come from?
I notice the chain provided has some issues that make it impossible to write an accurate etymology sentence: 1. The chain lists "Ancient Greek μορφή" (morphē, "form") but then jumps to "Latin nux" ("nut/kernel"), which don't connect to "polymorphonuclear" 2. The chain then lists "Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-" and "Proto-Indo-European ken-" twice, which appears to be an error 3. The chain doesn't explain how these elements relate to the actual morphology of "polymorphonuclear" (poly- + morpho- + nuclear) Could you provide a corrected etymological chain? For "polymorphonuclear" to be accurate, I would need a chain that properly traces: - "nuclear" back through Latin/PIE - "morpho" back through Greek μορφή - "poly
polymorphonuclear (English): Having a nucleus with lobes of diverse shapes;...
Definitions
- Having a nucleus with lobes of diverse shapes;...
Ancestry of “polymorphonuclear”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nuclear | Pertaining to the nucleus of an atom; Involving... |
| 2 | Latin | nū̆cleus | (small) nut |
| 3 | Latin | nuculea | pertaining to a small nut |
| 4 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |