English
ethanol
Ethanol comes from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ ‘ether’, from αἴθω ‘to ignite, kindle, light’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eydʰ-‘to ignite’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*áitʰō‘to ignite’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἴθωaíthō‘to ignite, kindle, light’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἰθήρaithḗr‘ether’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010ethanol
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eydʰ-‘to ignite’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*áitʰō‘to ignite’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἴθωaíthō‘to ignite, kindle, light’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἰθήρaithḗr‘ether’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010ethanol
Earliest quotation: 2010, Ted Strickland, Ohio State of the State Address: “In 2007, not one drop of ethanol was produced…”
The story
Contracted from ethyl + alcohol. Ethyl is from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “ether”), influenced by German Äthyl. May be decomposed as ethane + -ol.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- ‘to ignite’
estuary, edifice, edification, 18 more
through Ancient Greek αἴθω ‘to ignite, kindle, light’
through Ancient Greek αἰθήρ ‘ether’
Today it means
noun A simple aliphatic alcohol formally derived from ethane by replacing one hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group: CH₃-CH₂-OH.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- / ethanol