Where does “炭素” come from?
炭素 (Japanese) comes from Dutch koolstof, from German Kohlenstoff, from German Stoff, from Dutch stof, from Middle Dutch stof, from Middle Dutch stoffe, from Old French estophe, from Old French estoffer — to push, to hit.
炭素 (Japanese): carbon
Ancestry of “炭素”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | koolstof | carbon |
| 2 | German | Kohlenstoff | carbon |
| 3 | German | Stoff | stuff, matter, substance; substance; cloth,... |
| 4 | Dutch | stof | dust; matter, material; substance |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | stof | — |
| 6 | Middle Dutch | stoffe | — |
| 7 | Old French | estophe | — |
| 8 | Old French | estoffer | to decorate, garnish |
| 9 | Old High German | stoffōn | — |
| 10 | Old Dutch | stuppon | — |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | stuppōną | to stop; to close |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewb- | to push, hit; to push; stick; to push, butt,... |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |