Etymology

hydroxytryptophan

Today it means: A hydroxy derivative of tryptophan; especially 5-hydroxytryptophan which is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin Full definition →

English tryptophan ← German Tryptophan ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
  3. Proto-Hellenic*údōr
  4. Ancient Greekῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr)
  5. Ancient Greekὑδρο- (hudro-)
  6. Frenchhydro-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
  9. Proto-Hellenic*génos
  10. Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
  11. Frenchhydrogène
  12. Englishhydrogen
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-der.?
  14. Ancient Greekὀξύς (oxús)
  15. Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
  16. Frenchoxygène
  17. Englishoxygen
  18. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  19. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  20. Englishhydroxyl
  21. Englishhydroxy-
  22. GermanTryptophan
  23. Englishtryptophan
  24. English todayhydroxytryptophan

From hydroxy- + tryptophan.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.