Where does “purpur” come from?
purpur (Middle English) comes from Old English purpuren, 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
purpur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English purpuren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | purpuren | purple |
| 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 |
via Old English purple
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | purple | — |