English
etiolated
From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives); modelled after French étiolé, the past participle of étioler (“to become pale and weak, etiolate”), from Norman étieuler (“to become plant stalks left over after harvesting to be used as fodder or for thatching”), probably from éteule (“plant stalks left over after harvesting, stubble”) + -er (suffix forming verbs).
Formed from etiolate + -ed
Proto-Indo-European *steyp- ‘be stiff, erect’
…
Latin stupla
Old French estuble ‘stubble’
French étieuler
French étioler ‘to etiolate’
English etiolate
The story
From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives); modelled after French étiolé, the past participle of étioler (‘to become pale and weak, etiolate’), from Norman étieuler (‘to become plant stalks left over after harvesting to be used as fodder or for thatching’), probably from éteule (‘plant stalks left over after harvesting, stubble’) + -er (suffix forming verbs). Éteule is derived from Old French esteule (‘straw’), from Latin stipula (‘plant stalk; plant stalk left over after harvesting, stubble; straw’), from Proto-Italic *stipelā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steyp- (‘to be stiff; erect’).
Today it means
adj Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or excessive exposure to sunlight.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / etiolated