*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -fos

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂os Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos Ancient Greek φᾰ́ος (phắos) Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs) Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
suffix

Used to form names of phosphorous derivatives used as insecticides, anthelminthics, pesticides, etc.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂os Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos Ancient Greek φᾰ́ος (phắos) Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs) Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros) Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros)bor. Latin phōsphorusbor. English phosphorus English -fos From phosphorus.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phosphorus",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
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    },
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        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
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    }
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      "*bʰeh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_shine"
    ],
    [
      "*-os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-os#Proto-Indo-European:_athematic"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰéh₂os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰéh₂os"
    ],
    [
      "*pʰáwos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/pʰáwos"
    ],
    [
      "φᾰ́ος",
      "φάος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "φῶς",
      "φῶς#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰer-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰer-#Proto-Indo-European:_bear"
    ],
    [
      "*-eti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eti"
    ],
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      "*bʰéreti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰéreti#Proto-Indo-European:_to_be_carrying"
    ],
    [
      "*pʰérō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/pʰérō#Proto-Hellenic:_bear"
    ],
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      "φέρω",
      "φέρω#Ancient_Greek:_carry"
    ],
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      "*-os",
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    ],
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      "*-os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/-os"
    ],
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      "-ος",
      "-ος#Ancient_Greek:_o-grade"
    ],
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      "-φόρος",
      "-φόρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
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      "φωσφόρος",
      "φωσφόρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
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      "phōsphorus",
      "phosphorus#Latin"
    ],
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    ],
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      "phosphorus#English"
    ]
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "Used to form names of phosphorous derivatives used as insecticides, anthelminthics, pesticides, etc."
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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 -fos →

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-LWZvcw