Etymology

phenyl

P3H4E1N1Y4L1

Today it means: A univalent hydrocarbon radical, C₆H₅ (benzene minus one hydrogen atom), and the basis of an immense number of aromatic derivatives. Full definition →

French phényle ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.?
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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. English todayphenyl

Borrowed from French phényle, derived from the root of Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine”) plus ὕλη (húlē, “wood; material, substance”). Equivalent to phen- + -yl.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekφαίνω all →

phenotypetryptophanphenolautophanoushomophenemyophan-phanyphenepheno-phenogampyrophane

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.