Where does “polyvalent” come from?
Polyvalent derives from Ancient Greek πολύς meaning "many," from Proto-Indo-European polh₁ús, itself from the root pleh₁-.
polyvalent (English): Multivalent; having a number of different forms,...
Definitions
- Multivalent; having a number of different forms,...
Ancestry of “polyvalent”, step by step
polyvalent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English valent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | valent | Having valence |
| 2 | English | Valence | The number of arguments that a verb can have, including its subject, ranging from zero to three or, less commonly, four |
| 3 | French | Valence | valence |
| 4 | Latin | Valentia | health, vigour, bodily strength |
| 5 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 6 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via English poly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poly | Polytechnic; Polyethylene; Polyurethane |
| 2 | Latin | polium | Alternative form of polion |
| 3 | Latin | polion | A strong-smelling plant, perhaps Teucrium... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πόλιον | felty germander |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολιός | grey, grizzled, grizzly; bright, clear, serene; a... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | poľľós | grey |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | polH-yós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |