Where does “styrofoam” come from?
styrofoam (English) comes from English foam, from Middle English fom, from Old English fām, from Proto-West Germanic *faim, from Proto-Germanic faimaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)poHy-m-os, from Proto-Indo-European (s)poH(y)-, from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.
styrofoam (English): Expanded polystyrene foam, such as is used in...
Definitions
- Expanded polystyrene foam, such as is used in...
Ancestry of “styrofoam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | foam | A substance composed of a large collection of... |
| 2 | Middle English | fom | Alternative form of fome |
| 3 | Old English | fām | foam |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *faim | foam, froth |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | faimaz | foam |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)poHy-m-os | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)poH(y)- | foam |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |