Where does “e-mail” come from?

e-mail (English) comes from English email, from Middle French email, from Old French esmal, from Latin smaltum, from Frankish smalt, from Proto-Germanic smeltaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.

e-mail (English): Alternative spelling of email

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of email

Ancestry of “e-mail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishemailA system for transferring messages from one...
2Middle Frenchemail—
3Old Frenchesmalenamel
4Latinsmaltumenamel
5Frankishsmaltmelted fat; fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat
6Proto-Germanicsmeltanąto melt
7Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

Words derived from “e-mail”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →