Where does “tetrahelical” come from?
tetrahelical (English) comes from English tetra, from Translingual Tetragonopterus, from Ancient Greek πτερόν, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
tetrahelical (English): Composed of four helices (especially of a nucleic acid fold, or of a protein)
Definitions
- Composed of four helices (especially of a nucleic acid fold, or of a protein)
Ancestry of “tetrahelical”, step by step
tetrahelical traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tetra
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tetra | Any of numerous species of small South American... |
| 2 | Translingual | Tetragonopterus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
via English helical
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | helical | In the shape of a helix |