rotenone

The term 'rotenone' is a modern scientific coinage that directly incorporates a japanese colloquial term. It derives from the japanese word 'roten', a derogatory name applied to plants of the genus Derris, which itself means "rotten" or "useless," likely reflecting a local perception of the plant's value. The suffix '-one' is a standard chemical nomenclature suffix borrowed from greek, indicating it is a ketone, a type of organic compound. Thus, the word's construction follows a pattern common in scientific terminology, combining a source-specific root with a functional chemical classifier to name the active insecticidal compound isolated from these plants.

Structure: roten (derogatory name) + one (chemical suffix) roten (from japanese 'roten', a derogatory name for derris plants, itself from 'roten', meaning "rotten" or "useless") + one (a chemical suffix typically used to denote ketones or related compounds).