Where does “proton” come from?
Proton comes from Ancient Greek πρῶτον, the neuter form of πρῶτος meaning first, from πρό meaning before, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós.
proton (English): A positively charged subatomic particle forming...
Definitions
- A positively charged subatomic particle forming...
Ancestry of “proton”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | πρῶτον | nominative neuter singular of πρῶτος; accusative... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πρῶτος | first; earliest; foremost, most prominent |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πρό | before; before, in front, forth, forward; before,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pró | toward, leading to |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |