Etymology

pyrrole

P3Y4R1R1O1L1E1

Today it means: Any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds containing a ring of four carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom; especially the simplest one, C₄H₅N. Full definition →

First used 19th c.German Pyrro ← Ancient Greek πῠρρός (pŭrrhós) ← Proto-Hellenic *pāwər
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*péh₂wr̥
  2. Proto-Hellenic*pāwər
  3. Ancient Greekπῦρ (pûr)
  4. Ancient Greekπῠρρός (pŭrrhós)
  5. GermanPyrro
  6. English todaypyrrole

From German Pyrrol, corresponding to Ancient Greek πυρρός (purrhós, “reddish, fiery”) + -ole.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekπυρρός all →

burritoborachiopyrrhous

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. Any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds containing a ring of four carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom; especially the simplest one, C₄H₅N.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.