Etymology

arsenicophagy

A1R1S1E1N1I1C3O1P3H4A1G2Y4

Today it means: The eating of arsenic, formerly practiced for supposed health benefits. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g- ← English arsenic
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰelh₃-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰl̥h₃enyom
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranian*ȷ́ʰr̥Hanyam
  4. Proto-Iranian*jr̥Hanyam
  5. Old Median*zaranyam
  6. Old Median*kā
  7. Old Median*zaraniyakā
  8. Middle Persian*zarnīk
  9. Classical Syriacܙܪܢܝܟܐ (zarnīḵā)
  10. Arabicالزَرْنِيخ (az-zarnīḵ)
  11. Medieval Greekἀρσενικόν (arsenikón)
  12. Latinarsenicum
  13. Middle Frencharsenic
  14. Middle Englisharsenik
  15. Englisharsenic
  16. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂g-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂g-
  18. Ancient Greekἔφᾰγον (éphăgon)
  19. English todayarsenicophagy

From arsenic + -o- + -phagy.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.