Etymology

-yl

Today it means: A univalent radical or functional group formed from a given molecule. Thus propyl from propane, benzyl from benzene, and so forth. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.?
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  3. English today-yl

Via French méthylène from Ancient Greek ὕλη (húlē, “wood, material”).

Words from the same roots

Frenchméthylène all →

methylene

Ancient Greekὕλη all →

acetylhylahylhylehylo-hyloistmesohylprotylepterylaylemYliaster

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.