English
anabolism
Anabolism comes from Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘I throw’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to throw, reach, pierce’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωbállō‘I throw’
- Englishearliest quotation 2008anabolism
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-‘to throw, reach, pierce’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωbállō‘I throw’
- Englishearliest quotation 2008anabolism
Earliest quotation: 2008, Carlon M. Colker, Extreme Muscle Enhancement: “We used to think bodybuilding was all about anabolism…”
The story
Formed in analogy with metabolism.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to throw, reach, pierce’
ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 64 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
symbolic, ballistic, ballista, symbolist, 35 more
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘I throw’
problem, devil, symbol, emblem, metabolic, parable, hyperbolic, parabolic, embolism, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
Today it means
noun The constructive metabolism of the body, as distinguished from catabolism.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- / anabolism