Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “subshell” come from?

Subshell combines the English prefix sub- from Latin sub, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-, with shell from Proto-Germanic skaljō, also from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-.

subshell (English): Atomic orbitals for which the values of the n and...

Definitions

  1. Atomic orbitals for which the values of the n and...

Ancestry of “subshell”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishShell—
2Middle Englishschelle—
3Old Englishsċiell—
4Proto-West Germanicskalljuscale; shell
5Proto-Germanicskaljōshell; husk; rind; peel
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →