Where does “radiocarbon” come from?
Radiocarbon is a modern English compound of radio- and carbon, where carbon derives from French carbone, from Proto-Indo-European ker-.
radiocarbon (English): A radioactive isotope of carbon, especially 146C
Definitions
- A radioactive isotope of carbon, especially 146C
Ancestry of “radiocarbon”, step by step
radiocarbon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English carbon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | carbon | The chemical element with an atomic number of 6.... |
| 2 | English | budget | The amount of money or resources earmarked for a... |
| 3 | Middle English | bogett | — |
| 4 | Old French | bougette | — |
| 5 | Old French | bouge | sack; purse; small bag |
| 6 | Latin | bulga | knapsack, wallet, satchel; wallet, purse; womb |
| 7 | Gaulish | bolgā | bag, sack |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | bolgos | sack, bag; stomach |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵʰ- | to swell |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via French radiocarbone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | radiocarbone | radiocarbon |