Where does “mail” come from?
mail (Dutch) comes from Dutch e-mail, from English e-mail, from English email, from Middle French email, from Old French esmal, from Latin smaltum, from Frankish smalt, from Proto-Germanic smeltaną — to soften, to melt.
Definitions
Ancestry of “mail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | ||
| 2 | English | Alternative spelling of email | |
| 3 | English | A system for transferring messages from one... | |
| 4 | Middle French | — | |
| 5 | Old French | esmal | enamel |
| 6 | Latin | smaltum | enamel |
| 7 | Frankish | smalt | melted fat; fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | smeltaną | to melt |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |