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Origin and history of algae

algae(n.)

(plural), 1794, from alga (singular), 1550s, from Latin alga "seaweed," which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps connected to Latin ulva "grass-like or rush-like aquatic plant," or perhaps from a PIE root meaning "to putrefy, rot," but de Vaan considers this unlikely and suggests it might be a foreign loan-word.

also from 1794

Entries linking to algae

alga(n.)

1550s, singular of algae (q.v.).

algal(adj.)

"of or pertaining to the algae," 1846, from Latin alga (see algae) + -al (1).

algologist(n.)

"student of seaweed," 1830, from Latin alga (see algae) + -logist (see -logue). Related: Algology.

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    quell
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    review
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    conform
    mid-14c., confourmen, "be obedient (to God), comply," from Old French conformer "conform (to), agree (to), make or be similar, be agreeable" (13c.) and directly from Latin conformare "to fashion, to form, to shape; educate; modify," from assimilated form of com "together" (see co
    reciprocal
    1570s, "existing on both sides, exclusive or interchangeable" (of duties, etc.), with -al (1) + stem of Latin reciprocus "returning the same way, alternating," from pre-Latin *reco-proco-, from *recus (from re- "back;" see re-, + -cus, adjective formation) + *procus (from pro- "f
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    "online journal," 1998, short for weblog (which is attested from 1993 but in the sense "file containing a detailed record of each request received by a web server"), from (World Wide) Web (n.) + log (n.2). Joe Bloggs (c. 1969) was British slang for "any hypothetical person" (comp
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    c. 1200, douten, duten, "to dread, fear, be afraid" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French doter "doubt, be doubtful; be afraid," from Latin dubitare "to doubt, question, hesitate, waver in opinion" (related to dubius "uncertain"), from duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two"), wit
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