Where does “tritium” come from?
Tritium comes from English -ium, Latin -um, Ancient Greek τρεῖς meaning "three," Proto-Hellenic tréyes, and Proto-Indo-European tréyes with the agent suffix -ós.
tritium (English): A radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen (symbol T, 3H or) having one proton and two neutrons
Definitions
- A radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen (symbol T, 3H or) having one proton and two neutrons
Ancestry of “tritium”, step by step
tritium traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Ancient Greek τρίτος
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | τρίτος | third |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | τρι- | tri- |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | τρεῖς | three |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | tréyes | three |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *tréyes | — |
via New Latin tritium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Latin | tritium | — |