Etymograph

English

alcoholase

Alcoholase comes from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς ‘separation’, from ῐ̔́στημῐ ‘to stand’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-1‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti1‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmi1‘to stand’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῐ̔́στημῐ1hĭ́stēmĭ‘to stand’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐῐ̈́στημῐ1dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ‘to set apart, place separately’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς1dĭắstăsĭs‘separation’
  7. English1500–presentdiastase1
  8. Englishtodayalcoholase1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English alcoholase

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-Wiktionary, English alcoholase‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂tiWiktionary, English alcoholase‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmiWiktionary, English alcoholase‘to stand’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῐ̔́στημῐWiktionary, English alcoholasehĭ́stēmĭ‘to stand’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐῐ̈́στημῐWiktionary, English alcoholasedĭĭ̈́stēmĭ‘to set apart, place separately’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐςWiktionary, English alcoholasedĭắstăsĭs‘separation’
  7. English1500–presentdiastaseWiktionary, English alcoholase
  8. EnglishtodayalcoholaseWiktionary, English alcoholase

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’

state, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, stadium, instance, stood, stable, establish, constitution, contest, instant, stability, stem, destination, substance, destiny, distant, testimony, stud, prostitution, stationary, prostitute, substitution, stamina, stool, attest, extant, stale, stead, distal, destitute, stow, testimonial, oust, astute, detest, stasis, 137 more

through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’

assistant, assistance, consistent, assist, resist, insist, persistent, consist, persist, armistice, subsistence, desist, solstice, metastatic, hydrostatic, existentialist, 30 more

through Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi ‘to stand’

system, static, histone, stater, 26 more

Today it means

noun Any enzyme that converts glucose or lactic acid to alcohol

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “alcoholase”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / alcoholase

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