Meanings
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
- Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
- Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰérō
- Ancient Greekφέρω (phérō)
- Ancient Greekφωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
- Latinphōsphorus
- Englishphosphorus
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Englishphosphorous
- Englishphosphite
From phosphorous + -ite.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan fosfit
- fosfitany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Finnish fosfiitti
- fosfiittiany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Irish foisfít
- foisfítany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Italian fosfito
- fosfitoany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Japanese 亜燐酸塩
- 亜燐酸塩 (arinsan'en)any salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Māori pākati tūtaewhetū
- pākati tūtaewhetūany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Russian фосфи́т
- фосфи́т (fosfít)any salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Spanish fosfito
- fosfitoany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Swedish fosfit
- fosfitany salt or ester of phosphorous acid
Cite this entry
APA
phosphite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphite
MLA
“phosphite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphite. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phosphite,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphite.
Source: phosphite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.