Etymology Explorer › Russian

Where does “светофо́р” come from?

светофо́р (Russian) comes from Ancient Greek -φόρος, from Ancient Greek φέρω, from Proto-Hellenic pʰérō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

Ancestry of “светофо́р”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greek-φόρος-bearing, -carrying; carrying, bearing; bringing
2Ancient GreekφέρωI bring, bear, carry
3Proto-Hellenicpʰérōto bear
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “светофо́р”

  • светофор
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →