-trophycomb. form
Primary stress is either attracted to the syllable immediately preceding this combining form or retained by the usual stressed syllable of the preceding element. Vowels may be reduced accordingly.
Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly a borrowing from Greek. Etymons: Latin -trophia; Greek -τροϕία.
Etymology: < (i) post-classical Latin and scientific Latin -trophia (formations in which are found from at least the 16th cent.), and its etymon (ii) ancient Greek -τροϕία (in e.g. νοσοτροϕία nosotrophy n.), combining form < -τροϕος (see -troph comb. form) + -ία -ia suffix1; compare -y suffix3. Compare French -trophie (formations in which are found from the early 19th cent.), German -trophie (formations in which are found from at least the late 19th cent.).Found from the first half of the 17th cent. in borrowings and adaptations of Latin and Greek words (in early use in some cases via French), e.g. atrophy n., polytrophy n. Formations within English are found from the first half of the 19th cent., e.g. haemotrophy n. at haemo- comb. form , anaemotrophy n. Combining with first elements ultimately of Greek origin.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
comb. form