fehérje

From fehér (“white”) +‎ -je (“…’s, of…; its”, possessive suffix). The second sense (“protein”) is its lexicalization, created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries; an ellipsis of tojásfehérje (“white [part] of [an/the] egg”). Compare sárgája.

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɛɦeːrjɛ]
• Hyphenation: fe‧hér‧je
• Rhymes: -jɛ

fehérje

1. third-person singular single-possession possessive of fehér

   kimutatja a foga fehérjét ― to show one's true colors (literally, “to show the white [part] of one's tooth [or teeth]”)

fehérje (plural fehérjék)

1. (biochemistry) protein
2. egg white

   Synonym: tojásfehérje

   Coordinate term: sárgája

Its third-person singular single-possessive possessive is more commonly fehérje[1] to avoid doubling the suffix.

fehérje

1. third-person singular single-possession possessive of fehérje (“egg white”)[1]

   Synonym: fehérjéje