Where does “protein” come from?
Protein comes from French protéine, from Ancient Greek πρωτεῖος, derived from πρῶτος meaning "first," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "forward" and "to bear or produce."
protein (English): Any of numerous large, complex naturally-produced...
Definitions
- Any of numerous large, complex naturally-produced...
Ancestry of “protein”, step by step
protein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French protéine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | protéine | protein |
| 2 | French | -ine | feminine singular of -in; female equivalent of... |
| 3 | French | -é | past participle root verb suffix of regular -er... |
| 4 | Middle French | -é | past participle root verb suffix of regular; -ed, -en, -n |
| 5 | Old French | -é | used to form past participles of regular -er... |
| 6 | Latin | -a | suffixed to the roots of verbs, forms agent... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -ā | Forms masculine agent nouns from prefixed or compounded bases |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂ | — |
via German Protein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Protein | protein |