English
ozone
Ozone comes from Ancient Greek ὄζον, from ὄζω ‘I smell’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to smell’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-ye-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄζωózō‘I smell’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὄζονózonneuter participle of ὄζω
- Germanc. 1650–presentOzon
- Englishearliest quotation 1868ozone
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to smell’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-ye-reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄζωózō‘I smell’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὄζονózonneuter participle of ὄζω
- Germanc. 1650–presentOzon
- Englishearliest quotation 1868ozone
Earliest quotation: 1868, Medical and Surgical Reporter: “Whenever it exists, as it usually does, even where…”
The story
From German Ozon, coined 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, from Ancient Greek ὄζον (ózon), neuter participle of ὄζω (ózō, “I smell”), in reference to its pungent odour. The “fresh air” sense is from an erroneous former belief that seaweed contains and releases ozone.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- ‘to smell’
dental, tooth, dent, zinc, odor, annoy, egregious, tusk, dens, odious, redolent, dancy, odium, 69 more
through Ancient Greek ὄζω ‘I smell’
Today it means
noun An allotrope of oxygen (symbol O₃) having three atoms in the molecule instead of the usual two; it is a toxic gas, generated from oxygen by electrical discharge.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- / ozone