English
phosphorus
Phosphorus comes from Ancient Greek φωσφόρος ‘the bearer of light’, from φέρω ‘to bring, bear, carry’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰérō‘to bear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφέρωphérō‘to bring, bear, carry’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφῶς‘light’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφωσφόροςphōsphóros‘the bearer of light’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphōsphorus
- Englishtodayphosphorus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰérō‘to bear’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφέρωphérō‘to bring, bear, carry’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφῶς‘light’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφωσφόροςphōsphóros‘the bearer of light’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphōsphorus
- Englishtodayphosphorus
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
bar, birth, prefer, broad, suffering, bread, burden, differently, bearing, barrel, fortune, barn, fury, baron, breeze, bark, bore, differentiation, berth, indifferent, broom, barrow, embargo, fret, infertility, ferret, deference, infertile, insufferable, differentially, furtive, bier, deferential, differentiable, bahar, proffer, birr, barrette, differentiator, bairn, 117 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti ‘to be carrying’
different, offer, difference, reference, transfer, bear, relative, suffer, translation, relation, relate, extraordinary, differ, referendum, translate, referee, fertility, frustration, strangely, fertile, borne, extravagant, defer, confer, infer, fertilization, elated, infra, ablation, elation, frustrate, strangeness, extraneous, collation, fertilize, dilate, collate, ablative, efferent, oblate, 106 more
through Ancient Greek φέρω ‘to bring, bear, carry’
euphoria, semaphore, dysphoria, 25 more
through Ancient Greek φῶς ‘light’
Today it means
noun A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / phosphorus