English
phage
Phage comes from Ancient Greek ἔδω ‘to eat, consume’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁ed-‘to eat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁édti‘to eat’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*édō‘to eat’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔδωédō‘to eat, consume’
- Englishtodayphage
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁ed-‘to eat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁édti‘to eat’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*édō‘to eat’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔδωédō‘to eat, consume’
- Englishtodayphage
Formed from bacterio- ‘bacteria’ + -phage ‘eater’
Ancient Greek βακτηρία ‘rod, staff, cane’
Ancient Greek βακτήριον ‘diminutive of βακτηρία (baktēría)’
New Latin bactērium
English bacterio-
The story
Stem φαγ- (phag-) may also derive from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- (‘to divide, distribute’) thus ultimately doublet of bhakti (via Sanskrit भक्ति (bhakti, “portion, division”) from root भज् (bhaj, “to divide, to apportion”)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- ‘to eat’
eating, anna, ana, fret, anodyne, esca, 20 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁édti ‘to eat’
Today it means
noun A virus that is parasitic on bacteria.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- / phage