Etymology

beta-carotene

Today it means: A plant pigment that is an isomer of carotene, found in dark green and dark yellow vegetables and fruits and important in the diet as a precursor of vitamin A. Full definition →

English carotene ← Middle English karette ← Middle French carotte
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The story

  1. Proto-Semitic*bayt-
  2. Phoenician𐤁𐤕 (bt)
  3. Ancient Greekβῆτᾰ (bêtă)
  4. Englishbeta
  5. Ancient Greekκαρώ (karṓ)der.?
  6. Ancient Greekκαρωτόν (karōtón)
  7. Latincarōta
  8. Middle Frenchcarotte
  9. Middle Englishkarette
  10. Englishcar(r)ot
  11. Englishcarotene
  12. English todaybeta-carotene

From beta + carotene.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.