Where does “zwitterion” come from?

zwitterion (Portuguese) comes from German Zwitter, from Middle High German zwitarn, from Old High German zwitarn — bastard.

zwitterion (Portuguese): zwitterion molecule that carries both a positive and a negative charge

Definitions

  1. zwitterion molecule that carries both a positive and a negative charge

Ancestry of “zwitterion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZwitterhermaphrodite; hybrid; a child born of a relation...
2Middle High Germanzwitarnbastard; hermaphrodite
3Old High Germanzwitarnbastard

Words derived from “zwitterion”

Every word from Old High German zwitarn →Every word from Middle High German zwitarn →Every word from German Zwitter →