Etymology

photosynthesis

P3H4O1T1O1S1Y4N1T1H4E1S1I1S1

Today it means: Principally, oxygenic photosynthesis, any process by which plants and algae convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. Full definition →

English synthesis ← Latin synthesis ← Ancient Greek σύνθεσις (súnthesis)
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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*ḱe?
  9. Proto-Indo-European*ḱómder.?
  10. Proto-Indo-European*sem-der.?
  11. Proto-Hellenic*ksún
  12. Ancient Greekσύν (sún)
  13. Ancient Greekσυν- (sun-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*dʰédʰeh₁ti
  16. Ancient Greekτίθημι (títhēmi)
  17. Ancient Greekσῠντῐ́θημῐ (sŭntĭ́thēmĭ)
  18. Ancient Greekσύνθεσις (súnthesis)
  19. Latinsynthesis
  20. Englishsynthesis
  21. English todayphotosynthesis

From photo- + synthesis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.