Where does “ritalin” come from?
ritalin (English) comes from English Rita, from Italian margherita, from Italian margarita, from Spanish margarita, from Latin margarīta, from Ancient Greek μαργαρίτης, from Proto-Iranian *mŕ̥ga-ahri-ita-.
ritalin (English): methylphenidate, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Definitions
- methylphenidate, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Ancestry of “ritalin”, step by step
ritalin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Rita
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Rita | — |
| 2 | Italian | margherita | pearl; daisy |
| 3 | Italian | margarita | Archaic form of margherita; margarita |
| 4 | Spanish | margarita | daisy; pearl; margarita |
| 5 | Latin | margarīta | pearl |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μαργαρίτης | pearl; a type of Egyptian plant |
| 7 | Proto-Iranian | *mŕ̥ga-ahri-ita- | — |
via English Lin
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Lin | To desist, to stop, to cease |
| 2 | Middle English | lin | Alternative form of lyne |
| 3 | Old English | līn | flax, linen, cloth |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |