Where does “petroleum” come from?
petroleum (Latin) comes from Latin oleum, from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον, from Ancient Greek ἐλαία, from Proto-Hellenic elaíwā, from Proto-Indo-European loiwom.
Ancestry of “petroleum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | oleum | olive oil; the palaestra |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἔλαιον | olive oil, commonly used as an anointing oil; any... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐλαία | olive tree; olive; naevus |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | elaíwā | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | loiwom | — |
Words derived from “petroleum”