English word origin

Etymology of -ole

Partly arbitrary variant of -ol (now used to distinguish between specific cases) and partly from Latin oleum (“oil”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

suffix

in the Hantzsch–Widman nomenclature for naming heterocycles, denotes an unsaturated five-membered ring system with nitrogen

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Partly arbitrary variant of -ol (now used to distinguish between specific cases) and partly from Latin oleum (“oil”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionoleumla

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "oleum",
        "4": "",
        "5": "oil"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin oleum (“oil”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-ol",
      "-ol#English"
    ],
    [
      "oleum",
      "oleum#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "in the Hantzsch–Widman nomenclature for naming heterocycles, denotes an unsaturated five-membered ring system with nitrogen"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "77ef13ca756c8b81cdaca637d924fe0166e9b0c4a7139af8a33e972ef064962b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "59456dbf6b744f6fc960d37286ace4ed1b1789ace3a3f43216b53fb044e17fea",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2123823
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

A diminutive suffix referring to small parts of organisms or their cells.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Latin -olus, from -lus.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "-olus",
      "-olus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-lus",
      "-lis#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive suffix referring to small parts of organisms or their cells."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "6a4ba78321392a33af15996f303744e35b2dd4cf5286fb59333d6389dfbd74be",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0da0b0877cb72a73e29f51fb4a06703e37e4e4e09cb98cef0ad7582db88fa28d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2123824
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -ole →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-LW9sZQ