Etymology

phenanthrene

P3H4E1N1A1N1T1H4R1E1N1E1

Today it means: A tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of dyes, pharmaceuticals and explosives; it is isomeric with anthracene. Full definition →

English anthr(ac)ene ← French anthracène ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  4. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  5. Frenchphéno-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  7. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  8. Frenchphényle
  9. Englishphenyl
  10. Englishphen(o)-
  11. Frenchanthracène
  12. Englishanthr(ac)ene
  13. English todayphenanthrene

From phen(o)- + anthr(ac)ene.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.