Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “embalm” come from?

Embalm comes from Middle English embaumen, from Middle French embaumer, from Old French embasmer.

embalm (English): To treat a corpse with preservatives in order to...

Definitions

  1. To treat a corpse with preservatives in order to...

Ancestry of “embalm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishenbawmen—
2Frenchembaumerto embalm; to fill with fragrance
3Frenchen-en-
4Old Frenchen-en-
5Latinīn-—
6Latinîn—
7Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
8Proto-Italicenin
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “embalm”

  • embalmer
  • embalmment
  • embalmable
  • embalmar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →