English
plutonium
Plutonium comes from Latin Plūtō, from Ancient Greek πλοῦτος ‘wealth, riches’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘to sail, flow’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘to sail, flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pléwō‘to sail’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλέωpléō‘to float, sail’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλοῦτοςploûtos‘wealth, riches’root of πλέω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠλούτωνPloútōn
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPlūtō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Pluto
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1985plutonium
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘to sail, flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pléwō‘to sail’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλέωpléō‘to float, sail’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπλοῦτοςploûtos‘wealth, riches’root of πλέω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠλούτωνPloútōn
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPlūtō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Pluto
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishearliest quotation 1985plutonium
Earliest quotation: 1985, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale: “Plutonium? You mean this sucker's nuclear?”
Formed from Pluto + -n- + -ium
Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘to sail, flow’
…
Ancient Greek πλοῦτος ‘wealth, riches’
Ancient Greek Πλούτων
Latin Plūtō
Middle English Pluto
English Pluto
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘to sail, flow’
fly, flow, flew, pneumonia, fowl, plough, flue, flay, plover, 25 more
through Ancient Greek πλοῦτος ‘wealth, riches’
Today it means
noun The transuranic chemical element with atomic number 94 and symbol Pu: a silvery-gray fissile radioactive actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *plew- / plutonium