proton

Where does the word "proton" come from? It comes from Greek protos, and was adopted directly into English (1920).

Proton’s story begins in Greek: protos meant “first.” First, describing the first identified positively charged subatomic particle. It reached English by 1920 as proton. Coined by physicist Ernest Rutherford for the positively charged nuclear particle. Today, proton means a stable subatomic particle with a positive electric charge, found in atomic nuclei.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient protos "first", first, describing the first identified positively charged subatomic particle.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1920 proton "a positively charged subatomic particle", coined by physicist Ernest Rutherford for the positively charged nuclear particle.