Etymology

edrophonium

E1D2R1O1P3H4O1N1I1U1M3

Today it means: An anticholinesterase C₁₀H₁₆NO⁺ used especially to stimulate skeletal muscle and in the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. Full definition →

English onium ← New Latin ammōnium ← French phényle
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
  3. Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
  4. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
  5. Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
  6. Latinaethēr
  7. GermanÄther
  8. GermanEther
  9. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  10. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  11. GermanEthy
  12. Englishethyl
  13. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
  15. Proto-Hellenic*údōr
  16. Ancient Greekῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr)
  17. Ancient Greekῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-)
  18. Englishhydro-
  19. Englishoxy
  20. Englishhydroxy
  21. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  22. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  23. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  24. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  25. Frenchphéno-
  26. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  27. Frenchphényle
  28. Englishphenyl
  29. Englishhydroxyphenyl
  30. New Latinammōnium
  31. Englishammonium
  32. Englishonium
  33. English todayedrophonium

From e(thyl) + (hy)dro(xy)ph(enyl) + -onium (“quaternary ammonium compound”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.