Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “polysaccharide” come from?

Polysaccharide derives from English -ide combined with English saccharide, which comes from Latin saccharum, ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा and Pali sakkharā, both meaning granulated sugar.

polysaccharide (English): A polymer made of many saccharide units linked by...

Definitions

  1. A polymer made of many saccharide units linked by...

Ancestry of “polysaccharide”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsaccharideThe unit structure of carbohydrates, of general...
2Englishsaccharo-sugar
3Latinsaccharumsugar
4Ancient Greekσάκχαρsugar; sugar cane
5Sanskritशर्कराgravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or...
6Proto-Indo-AryanśárkaraH—
7Proto-Indo-IranianćárkaraH—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱorkeh₂gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel

Words derived from “polysaccharide”

  • lipopolysaccharide
  • mucopolysaccharidosis
  • mucopolysaccharide
  • exopolysaccharide
  • heteropolysaccharide
  • homopolysaccharide
  • nonpolysaccharide
  • polysaccharidal
  • polysaccharase
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱorkeh₂ →