English
phenyl
Phenyl comes from French phényle, and goes back to Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη ‘wood’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̔́ληhū́lē‘wood’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentphényle
- Englishtodayphenyl
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̔́ληhū́lē‘wood’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentphényle
- Englishtodayphenyl
Formed from pheno- + -yl
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti
Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō ‘to appear’
Ancient Greek φαίνω ‘to bring to light, make appear’
English pheno-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *swel-
swell, swollen, swole, swill, dimethyl, diethyl, 32 more
through Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη ‘wood’
Today it means
noun A univalent hydrocarbon radical, C₆H₅ (benzene minus one hydrogen atom), and the basis of an immense number of aromatic derivatives.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη / phenyl