Where does “purpur” come from?
purpur (German) comes from Old High German purpura, from Latin purpura, from Ancient Greek πορφύρα, from Ancient Greek πορφύρω, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrewh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.
Ancestry of “purpur”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | purpura | purple; purple cloth or raiment |
| 2 | Latin | purpura | the purple-fish, a species of shellfish or... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πορφύρα | purple-fish; a purple dye obtained from it;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πορφύρω | to surge up; to redden |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |