Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “emollient” come from?

Emollient comes from French émollient, from Latin emolliens, the present participle of emollio meaning to soften, from ex- and mel-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European eǵ- and mel-.

emollient (English): Something which softens or lubricates the skin;...

Definitions

  1. Something which softens or lubricates the skin;...

Ancestry of “emollient”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchémollientemollient; third-person plural present indicative...
2Latinemolliēns—
3Latinēmolliō—
4Latinmolliō—
5Latinmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,...
6Latinmolduis—
7Proto-Italicmoldus—
8Proto-Indo-European*ml̥dus—
9Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

Words derived from “emollient”

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