Etymograph

English

xylem

Xylem comes from German Xylem, from Ancient Greek ξύλον ‘wood’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kes- ‘to scrape’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kes-1‘to scrape’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ksewlo-1uncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEξύλον2xúlon‘wood’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentXylem2
  5. Englishtodayxylem2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ξύλον, which cites Beekes
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English xylem

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kes-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ξύλον, which cites Beekes‘to scrape’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ksewlo-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ξύλον, which cites Beekesuncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEξύλονWiktionary, English xylemxúlon‘wood’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentXylemWiktionary, English xylem
  5. EnglishtodayxylemWiktionary, English xylem

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kes- ‘to scrape’

hair, herring, hards, 8 more

through Ancient Greek ξύλον ‘wood’

xylitol, 3 more

Today it means

noun A vascular tissue in land plants primarily responsible for the distribution of water and minerals taken up by the roots; also the primary component of wood.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “xylem”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek ξύλον. 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 *kes- / xylem

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