Where does “bio-” come from?
bio- (German) comes from Ancient Greek βίο-, from Ancient Greek βίος, from Ancient Greek Γένεσις, from Proto-Hellenic génetis, from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁tis, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
Ancestry of “bio-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | βίο- | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | βίος | life |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Γένεσις | — |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | génetis | origin, source |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁tis | birth, production |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |