English
pectin
Pectin comes from French pectine, from Ancient Greek πηκτικός ‘curdling’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- ‘to attach, fix, fasten’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ǵ-‘to attach, fix, fasten’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπήγνῡμιpḗgnūmi
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπηκτόςpēktós‘curdled’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπηκτικόςpēktikós‘curdling’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentacide pectique
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentpectine
- Englishtodaypectin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ǵ-‘to attach, fix, fasten’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπήγνῡμιpḗgnūmi
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπηκτόςpēktós‘curdled’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπηκτικόςpēktikós‘curdling’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentacide pectique
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentpectine
- Englishtodaypectin
The story
From French pectine, coined in the 1830s by Henri Braconnot, from acide pectique "pectic acid", from Ancient Greek πηκτικός (pēktikós, “curdling”), from πηκτός (pēktós, “curdled”), from πήγνυμι (pḗgnumi, “stiffen”).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- ‘to attach, fix, fasten’
page, travel, pole, propaganda, pale, compact, pagan, peel, peasant, propagate, pala, palisade, travail, impinge, impactor, pagination, 29 more
Today it means
noun A plant-derived polysaccharide found in cell walls (especially in fruits) that forms a gel under acidic conditions and is commonly used to thicken foods like jam and jellies.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- / pectin