English
aldehyde
Aldehyde comes from German Aldehyd, from Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ ‘water’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wed-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wed-‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wódr̥‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*údōr‘water’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̆̔́δωρhū̆́dōr‘water’next step skipped: Latin al(cohol) dehyd(rogenātum)
- Germanc. 1650–presentAldehyd
- Englishearliest quotation 2020aldehyde
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wed-‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wódr̥‘water’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*údōr‘water’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̆̔́δωρhū̆́dōr‘water’next step skipped: Latin al(cohol) dehyd(rogenātum)
- Germanc. 1650–presentAldehyd
- Englishearliest quotation 2020aldehyde
Earliest quotation: 2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became: “The air smells of strange, oceanic aldehydes.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wed- ‘water’
wet, wash, und, abundance, surround, abundant, redundant, otter, vitriol, vitreous, inundate, undine, 43 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ ‘water’
water, vodka, vedra, anhydrous, 18 more
through Proto-Hellenic *údōr ‘water’
through Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ ‘water’
Today it means
noun Any of a large class of reactive organic compounds (R·CHO) having a carbonyl functional group attached to one hydrocarbon radical and a hydrogen atom.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wed- / aldehyde