vinyle (French)
Where does "vinyle" come from?
The French adjective 'vinyle' was borrowed from the English word 'vinyl'[1]. The English term itself combines the Latin 'vīnum' meaning 'wine' with the chemical suffix '-yl', a coinage chosen because ethyl alcohol is the ordinary alcohol found in wine[2]. The Latin noun 'vīnum' descends from Proto-Italic '*wīnom'[3], which ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*wéyh₁ō'[3].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of the Proto-Indo-European root is disputed, with possibilities including a derivation from a root meaning to twist or wrap, borrowings from Semitic or Kartvelian languages, or an unattested Mediterranean substrate language. [4]
Full etymology tree
- vinyle (French), 'vinyl'
- borrowed vinyl (English), 'The univalent radical CH₂=CH−, derived from ethylene.'
- derived vinum (Latin), 'wine'
- inherited *wīnom (Proto-Italic), 'wine'
- derived *wéyh₁ō (Proto-Indo-European), 'wine'
- inherited *wīnom (Proto-Italic), 'wine'
- suffix -yl (English), 'A univalent radical or functional group formed from a given molecule. Thus propyl from propane, benzyl from benzene, and so forth.'
- derived vinum (Latin), 'wine'
- borrowed vinyl (English), 'The univalent radical CH₂=CH−, derived from ethylene.'
Ancestors
- vinyl (English)
Sources
- vinyle (French) - Wiktionary
- vinyl (English) - Wiktionary
- vinum (Latin) - Wiktionary
- wéyh₁ō (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- wīnom (Proto-Italic) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris