Etymology

photoelectric

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Today it means: Of or relating to the electric effects of electromagnetic radiation, especially the ejection of an electron from a surface by a photon. Full definition →

English electric ← New Latin ēlectricus ← Latin ēlectrum
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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. Ancient Greekἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron)
  9. Latinēlectrum
  10. New Latinēlectricus
  11. Englishelectric
  12. English todayphotoelectric

From photo- + electric.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.