alexipyretic

The story

1. Latin · derived from-icum
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*péh₂wr̥“fire”
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂lek-“to protect”
4. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀλέξειν
5. Late Latin · learned borrowing fromalexipyreticum
6. English todayalexipyretic

PIE word *péh₂wr̥ The noun is a learned borrowing from Late Latin alexipyreticum, alexipyreticon + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Alexipyreticum and alexipyreticon are derived from Ancient Greek ἀλέξειν (aléxein) (the active infinitive of ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend, guard, protect; to help; to keep off, turn aside, ward off”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂lek- (“to protect”)) + πυρετός (puretós, “fever; heat”) (from πῦρ (pûr, “fever; fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“fire”)) + Latin -icum (suffix meaning ‘connected with; of or pertaining to’), -icon. The adjective is derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots