Etymograph

English

synapsis

Synapsis comes from Ancient Greek σῠ́νᾰψῐς ‘contact’, from συνάπτω ‘join together, connect’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one, whole’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-1‘one, whole’root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*áptō2reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἅπτω3‘to join’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνάπτω4‘join together, connect’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσῠ́νᾰψῐς1sŭ́năpsĭs‘contact’
  6. Englishtodaysynapsis1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English synapsis
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἅπτω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek συνάπτω
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σύναψις

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-Wiktionary, English synapsis‘one, whole’root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*áptōWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἅπτωreconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἅπτωWiktionary, Ancient Greek συνάπτω‘to join’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνάπτωWiktionary, Ancient Greek σύναψις‘join together, connect’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσῠ́νᾰψῐςWiktionary, English synapsissŭ́năpsĭs‘contact’
  6. EnglishtodaysynapsisWiktionary, English synapsis

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one, whole’

some, same, single, seem, similar, simple, simply, soft, sam, simulation, resemble, sincerely, assemble, resemblance, singular, anomaly, simultaneous, simulate, sincerity, semblance, anomalous, assimilate, homeopathic, homology, hyphen, insincere, simile, sempre, homolog, simulacrum, synchronise, 46 more

through Ancient Greek ἅπτω ‘to join’

haptic, apse, 12 more

Today it means

noun The association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “synapsis”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek ἅπτω, Ancient Greek συνάπτω, Ancient Greek σύναψις. 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 *sem- / synapsis

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