Etymology

indole

I1N1D2O1L1E1

Today it means: An organic compound, C₈H₇N, found in coal tar, and produced in the gut by the bacterial decomposition of tryptophan; it is an aromatic bicyclic heterocycle having a benzene ring fused with a pyrrole ring; indole and its derivatives occur widely in nature and have many industrial applications. Full definition →

Latin ole(um) ← Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion) ← Proto-Hellenic *élaiwon
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranian*síndʰuš
  2. Sanskritसिन्धु॑ (síndhu)
  3. Old Persian𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿdūš)
  4. Ancient GreekἸνδός (Indós)
  5. Ancient GreekἸνδία (Indía)
  6. Ancient GreekἸνδικός (Indikós)
  7. LatinIndicu
  8. Spanishíndico
  9. Spanishíndigo
  10. Portugueseendego
  11. Spanishíndigo
  12. Dutchindigo
  13. Englishind(igo)
  14. Proto-Hellenic*élaiwon
  15. Ancient Greekἔλαιον (élaion)
  16. Latinole(um)
  17. English todayindole

From ind(igo) + Latin ole(um) (“oil”); see -ole.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.