Etymograph

English

embolium

Embolium comes from Ancient Greek ἐμβόλιον ‘insertion’, from ἔμβολος ‘Tongue 16 (of land)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-1‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnō1reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω2‘to throw’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλω3‘to throw in’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔμβολος4‘Tongue 16 (of land)’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβόλιον5embólion‘insertion’
  8. New Latinc. 1500–1900embolium5
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1965embolium5

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἔμβολος
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβόλιον
  5. 5 Wiktionary, English embolium
  6. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1965, Herbert Ruckes, New York: “Hemelytral membranes small, not reaching apex of abdomen; costal…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōWiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω‘to throw’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἔμβολος‘to throw in’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔμβολοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβόλιον‘Tongue 16 (of land)’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβόλιονWiktionary, English emboliumembólion‘insertion’
  8. New Latinc. 1500–1900emboliumWiktionary, English embolium
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1965emboliumWiktionary, English embolium. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1965, Herbert Ruckes, New York: “Hemelytral membranes small, not reaching apex of abdomen; costal…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’

ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 64 more

through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō

ballistic, symbolic, ballista, symbolist, 35 more

through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’

problem, devil, symbol, metabolic, parable, hyperbolic, parabolic, anabolic, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more

through Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω ‘to throw in’

emblem, 9 more

Today it means

noun A narrow piece separating the costa and corium in certain insects of the suborder Heteroptera.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “embolium”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek βάλλω, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω, Ancient Greek ἔμβολος, Ancient Greek ἐμβόλιον. 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 *gʷelH- / embolium

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