Phytochemicals
/ˌfaɪtoʊˈkɛmɪkəlz/noun
Naturally occurring chemical compounds found in plants, often studied for their biological effects.
Did you know?The first element, phyto-, comes from Greek phyton, meaning “plant,” while chemical ultimately traces back through alchemy to a word once tied to Egypt’s mysterious art of transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“to put, place, set”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φυτόν (phyton)
“a plant, something that grows”
Late Greek
Greek
χημεία (khemeia)
“alchemy; the art of transmuting substances”
Arabic
Arabic
al-kīmiyāʾ
“alchemy”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
chemia
“alchemy, chemistry”
Modern English
English
phytochemical
“a chemical compound occurring in plants”
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