Etymology

diphenhydramine

D2I1P3H4E1N1H4Y4D2R1A1M3I1N1E1

Today it means: An antihistamine and anticholinergic drug that blocks the effect of histamine at H₁ receptor sites, relieving allergy symptoms. It also reduces smooth muscle contraction, increases heart rate, and sedates the user by blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). Full definition →

English amine ← Latin ammoniacus ← Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dwi-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*dwi-
  4. Ancient Greekδῐ- (dĭ-)
  5. Latindi-
  6. Englishdi-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  9. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  10. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  11. Frenchphéno-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  13. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  14. Frenchphényle
  15. Englishphenyl
  16. Englishdiphen(yl)
  17. English(benz)hydr(yl)
  18. Egyptianjmn
  19. Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
  20. LatinAmmōn
  21. Latinammoniacus
  22. Englishammonia
  23. Englishamine
  24. English todaydiphenhydramine

From diphen(yl) + (benz)hydr(yl) + -amine.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.