Where does “embellish” come from?
Embellish comes from Old French embellir, formed from the prefix in- and Latin in combined with Proto-Indo-European dew-, meaning to make beautiful.
embellish (English): To make more beautiful and attractive; to...
Definitions
- To make more beautiful and attractive; to...
Ancestry of “embellish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | embellir | to make prettier; to make more attractive; to... |
| 2 | Old French | bel | Alternative form of biau; good, pretty |
| 3 | Latin | bellus | beautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,... |
| 4 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 5 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |