Etymograph

English

hydrargyriferous

Hydrargyriferous comes from Latin hydrargyrum ‘mercury’, from Classical Latin hydrargyrus ‘quicksilver’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-‘white, shining’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂érǵ-u-ros or *h₂érǵ-wr̥ ~ h₂r̥ǵ-wén-sreconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́ργῠροςắrgŭros‘silver’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὑδράργυροςhudrárguros‘quicksilver’
  5. Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrargyrus‘quicksilver’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrargyrum‘mercury’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1546hydrargyriferous

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-‘white, shining’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂érǵ-u-ros or *h₂érǵ-wr̥ ~ h₂r̥ǵ-wén-sreconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́ργῠροςắrgŭros‘silver’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὑδράργυροςhudrárguros‘quicksilver’
  5. Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrargyrus‘quicksilver’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrargyrum‘mercury’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1546hydrargyriferous

Earliest quotation: 1546, Georgius Agricola: “Certain minerals can be compressed such as native spodos…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’

argument, argue, argentine, argent, arguable, 53 more

Today it means

adj Bearing or producing mercury

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- / hydrargyriferous

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