Etymograph

English

asphalt

Asphalt comes from Ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος ‘asphalt, bitumen’, from σφάλλω ‘to fall, cast down’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- ‘to stumble’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)gʷʰh₂el-‘to stumble’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσφάλλω‘to fall, cast down’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄσφαλτοςásphaltos‘asphalt, bitumen’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEasphaltum
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1914asphalt

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)gʷʰh₂el-‘to stumble’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσφάλλω‘to fall, cast down’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἄσφαλτοςásphaltos‘asphalt, bitumen’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEasphaltum
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1914asphalt

Earliest quotation: 1914, Thomas Hugh Boorman, Asphalts: “Felltham wrote in the beginning of the 17th century…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- ‘to stumble’

failure, fail, fault, false, faux, fallacy, fallacious, fallible, falsify, falsity, 8 more

Today it means

noun A sticky, black to brown and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen with small mineral particles, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- / asphalt

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