Where does “purine” come from?
Purine is a German coinage Purin, ultimately from an unknown origin, entering English scientific terminology in the late 19th century.
purine (English): Any of a class of organic heterocyclic compounds,...
Definitions
- Any of a class of organic heterocyclic compounds,...
Ancestry of “purine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Purin | — |
| 2 | Old French | pur | pure; Alternative form of por |
| 3 | Old French | autre | Alternative form of altre; other |
| 4 | Old French | vie | life |
| 5 | Old French | viḍe | — |
| 6 | Latin | vitam | accusative singular of vīta |
| 7 | Latin | vīta | life |
| 8 | Latin | vīvō | to live |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | gʷīwō | live, be alive |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷíh₃weti | to live, to be alive |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |