Etymology

chitin

chi·tin
C3H4I1T1I1N1

Today it means: A complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans. Full definition →

French chitine ← Latin chitōn ← Ancient Greek χῐτών (khĭtṓn)
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekχῐτών (khĭtṓn)
  2. Latinchitōn
  3. Frenchchitine
  4. English todaychitin

From French chitine, from Latin chitōn (“mollusk”), from Ancient Greek χιτών (khitṓn). See also chiton.

Words from the same roots

Frenchchitine all →

chito-

Latinchitōn all →

chito-

Ancient Greekχιτών all →

chitonchito-

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.