Etymology

graptolite

G2R1A1P3T1O1L1I1T1E1

Today it means: Any of a group of extinct aquatic colonial invertebrates, of the class Graptolithina, from the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods. Full definition →

Ancient Greek γραπτός (graptós) ← Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō ← Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  3. Ancient Greekγράφω (gráphō)
  4. Ancient Greekγραπτός (graptós)
  5. English todaygraptolite

From Ancient Greek γραπτός (graptós, “painted, marked with letters”) + English -lite.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.