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Where does the word "chlorophyll" come from? It comes from Greek khloros, and was adopted directly into English (1810).
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Where does the word "chlorophyll" come from? It comes from Greek khloros, and was adopted directly into English (1810).
Chlorophyll’s story begins in Greek: khloros meant “pale green.” Pale green, combined with phyllon (leaf). It reached English by 1810 as chlorophyll. Coined by French chemists for the green pigment in plants. Today, chlorophyll means the green pigment in plants responsible for absorbing light for photosynthesis.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient khloros "pale green", pale green, combined with phyllon (leaf).
- Stage 2 · English · 1810 chlorophyll "the green pigment found in plants", coined by French chemists for the green pigment in plants.