English
phasma
Phasma comes from Latin phasma ‘ghost, spirit’, from Ancient Greek φάσμα ‘apparation, phantom’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂nyétireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to cause to appear’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφάσμαphásma‘apparation, phantom’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphasma‘ghost, spirit’
- Englishearliest quotation 1869same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰh₂nyétireconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰáňňō‘to appear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφαίνωphaínō‘to cause to appear’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφάσμαphásma‘apparation, phantom’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphasma‘ghost, spirit’
- Englishearliest quotation 1869same form
Earliest quotation: 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago: “The true Paradise Birds are omnivorous, feeding on fruits…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
phone, focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fate, fame, profession, photographer, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, abandon, infant, confession, confess, beacon, beck, symphony, boon, eff, fab, fay, bane, fable, foyer, banish, prophetic, buoy, nefarious, profess, bene, banal, infamy, prophesy, 115 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō ‘to appear’
through Ancient Greek φαίνω ‘to cause to appear’
fancy, fantasy, phenomenon, emphasis, phantom, epiphany, fantasia, phenomenology, phenomenally, phenol, phenom, tryptophan, phantasm, 40 more
Today it means
noun A phasmid.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / phasma