Etymology

photoactive

P3H4O1T1O1A1C3T1I1V4E1

Today it means: Able to convert the energy of light into electricity via photoelectricity Full definition →

English active ← Middle English actyf ← Old French actif
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  10. Proto-Italic*agō
  11. Latinagō
  12. Ancient Greekἐνεργητικός (energētikós)
  13. Latināctīvu
  14. Old Frenchactif
  15. Middle Englishactyf
  16. Englishactive
  17. English todayphotoactive

From photo- + active.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.