Etymology

sellotape

S1E1L1L1O1T1A1P3E1

Today it means: Adhesive tape. Full definition →

English Sellotape ← Middle English tape ← Old English tæppa
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sellotape · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  2. Latincella
  3. Latincellula
  4. Frenchcellule
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  7. Frenchcellulose
  8. Englishcellulose
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  10. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  11. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  12. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  13. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  16. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  17. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  18. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφαίνω (dĭăphaínō)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφᾰνής (dĭăphănḗs)
  20. Medieval Latindiaphanus
  21. Middle Frenchdiaphane
  22. Englishdiaphane
  23. Englishcellophane
  24. Old Englishtæppa
  25. Middle Englishtape
  26. Englishtape
  27. EnglishSellotape
  28. English todaysellotape

Genericized trademark from Sellotape, a blend of cellophane + tape. The spelling with S- was to avoid an existing trademark on the word Cellophane itself.

Sellotape · noun, verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  2. Latincella
  3. Latincellula
  4. Frenchcellule
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  7. Frenchcellulose
  8. Englishcellulose
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  10. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  11. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  12. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  13. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  16. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  17. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  18. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφαίνω (dĭăphaínō)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφᾰνής (dĭăphănḗs)
  20. Medieval Latindiaphanus
  21. Middle Frenchdiaphane
  22. Englishdiaphane
  23. Englishcellophane
  24. Old Englishtæppa
  25. Middle Englishtape
  26. Englishtape
  27. English todaySellotape

Brand name, from cellophane tape. The first letter was changed to avoid infringing the then-extant trademark on cellophane.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.