Where does “heroin” come from?
heroin (Swedish) comes from German Heroin, from Latin hērōina, from Ancient Greek ἡρωΐνη, from Ancient Greek ἥρως, from Proto-Indo-European sēr-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
heroin (Swedish): heroin
Ancestry of “heroin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Heroin | heroin |
| 2 | Latin | hērōina | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἡρωΐνη | Alternative spelling of ἡρωίνη |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἥρως | a hero of the Trojan War: any of the major... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sēr- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |