Etymograph

English

hydrargyrum

Hydrargyrum comes from New 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. New Latinc. 1500–1900hydrargyrum‘mercury’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1706same form

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. New Latinc. 1500–1900hydrargyrum‘mercury’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1706same form

Earliest quotation: 1706, Edward Phillips, Hydrargyrum: “Hydrargyrum, Quick-ſilver, a Mineral, of a ſtrange piercing Quality,…”

Linked words

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

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

Today it means

noun Mercury (chemical element).

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

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

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