Etymology

meprobamate

M3E1P3R1O1B3A1M3A1T1E1

Today it means: A carbamate derivative used as an anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) drug. Full definition →

English pro(pyl) ← French propyl- ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
  2. Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
  3. Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  5. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  6. GermanMethy
  7. Englishme(thyl)
  8. Frenchpropionique
  9. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  10. Frenchpropyl-
  11. Englishpro(pyl)
  12. English todaymeprobamate

From me(thyl) + pro(pyl) + -bamate (“tranquilizer”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.