phosphorus English · revision 862

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfɒs.fə.ɹəs/, /ˈfɒs.fɹəs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-new|phosphorus]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a special use of [[la|Phōsphorus|t=the morning star]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|Φωσφόρος|tr=Phōsphóros|t=morning star, literally light-bringer]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[af|grc|φῶς|-φόρος|tr1=phôs|tr2=-phóros|t1=light|t2=bearing]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The morning star (1629 in the OED; 1620 in Etymonline).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From 1645 the word meant any substance or organism that shines of itself, a phosphorescent body.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The element was discovered in 1669 by Henning Brand of Hamburg, who obtained it from urine,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) and the name was applied to it from 1680,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) at first as one of several substances so called and exclusively from about 1750.^(Etymonline) Lavoisier showed it to be an element in 1777.^(Etymonline) ''Phosphorus'' (noun) should not be confused with the adjective ''[[phosphorous]]''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1620s – the morning star.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1645 – a phosphorescent substance.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1669 – the element discovered by Brand.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1680 – the chemical element.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1750 – used only of the element.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A highly reactive, poisonous non-metallic [[chemical element]] (symbol P, atomic number 15), occurring in white, red and black forms, essential to living things and used in matches and [[fertilizer|alt=fertilizers]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[phosphorescent]] substance, one that glows in the dark; a [[phosphor]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Phosphorus)'' The morning star.^(OED 1989)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[phosphorate]]

+ * [[phosphoresce]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[phosphate]]

+ * [[phosphor]]

+ * [[phosphorescence]]

+ * [[phosphorescent]]

+ * [[phosphoric]]

+ * [[phosphorous]]

+ * [[Lucifer]]

+ * [[photo-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}