Where does “Asphalt” come from?
Asphalt (German) comes from French asphalte, from Latin asphaltum, from Ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος, from Ancient Greek ἀ-, from Proto-Hellenic hə-, from Proto-Indo-European sm̥-, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
Asphalt (German): asphalt, asphalt concrete, tarmac
Definitions
- asphalt, asphalt concrete, tarmac
Ancestry of “Asphalt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | asphalte | asphalt; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 2 | Latin | asphaltum | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἄσφαλτος | asphalt, bitumen |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |