Etymology

cellophane

C3E1L1L1O1P3H4A1N1E1

Today it means: Any of a variety of transparent plastic films, especially one made of processed cellulose. Full definition →

English diaphane ← Middle French diaphane ← Medieval Latin diaphanus
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  2. Latincella
  3. Latincellula
  4. Frenchcellule
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  7. Frenchcellulose
  8. Englishcellulose
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  10. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  11. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  12. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  13. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  16. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  17. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  18. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφαίνω (dĭăphaínō)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφᾰνής (dĭăphănḗs)
  20. Medieval Latindiaphanus
  21. Middle Frenchdiaphane
  22. Englishdiaphane
  23. English todaycellophane

Genericized trademark. Blend of cellulose + diaphane.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.