Etymograph

English

indirubin

Indirubin comes from Latin ruber ‘red’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rewdʰ-1‘red’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rudʰrós2‘red’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ruðros2‘red’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEruber3‘red’
  5. Englishtodayindirubin3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰrós
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin ruber
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English indirubin

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rewdʰ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰrós‘red’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁rudʰrósWiktionary, Latin ruber‘red’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ruðrosWiktionary, Latin ruber‘red’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEruberWiktionary, English indirubin‘red’
  5. EnglishtodayindirubinWiktionary, English indirubin

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- ‘red’

red, ruby, rust, rowan, reddish, rouse, roux, redness, corroborate, russel, ruddy, roan, erythema, russet, robusta, rufous, rud, ruddock, 32 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰrós ‘red’

erythematosus, 10 more

through Latin ruber ‘red’

rubric, rubella, 6 more

Today it means

noun A substance isomeric with, and resembling, indigo blue; a component of Tyrian purple

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “indirubin”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰrós, Latin ruber. 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 *h₁rewdʰ- / indirubin

Shirt and support for this word