Where does “phosphor” come from?
phosphor (German) comes from Latin phōsphorus, from Ancient Greek Φωσφόρος, from Ancient Greek -φόρος, from Ancient Greek φέρω, from Proto-Hellenic pʰérō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
Ancestry of “phosphor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | phōsphorus | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Φωσφόρος | the bearer of light |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -φόρος | -bearing, -carrying; carrying, bearing; bringing |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | φέρω | I bring, bear, carry |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰérō | to bear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |
Words derived from “phosphor”