English
elastic
Elastic comes from Ancient Greek ἐλᾰστός, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁elh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁l̥h₂-tósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλᾰστόςelăstós
- New Latinmodernelasticus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentélastique
- Englishearliest quotation 1820elastic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁elh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁l̥h₂-tósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλᾰστόςelăstós
- New Latinmodernelasticus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentélastique
- Englishearliest quotation 1820elastic
Earliest quotation: 1820, Encyclopaedia Britannica; Or A Dictionar, Sciences: “In trumpets for assisting the hearing, all reverbation of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂-
Today it means
adj Capable of stretching; particularly, capable of stretching so as to return to an original shape or size when force is released.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- / elastic