Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “exhale” come from?

Exhale comes from Middle French exhaler, from Latin exhalare meaning to breathe out, itself formed from Latin ex meaning out and Proto-Indo-European eǵ-.

exhale (English): To expel air from the lungs through the nose or...

Definitions

  1. To expel air from the lungs through the nose or...

Ancestry of “exhale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchexhaler—
2Latinexhalarepresent active infinitive of exhālō;...
3LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
4Latincommūnicō—
5Latincommūnis—
6Old Latincom(m)oinis—
7Proto-Italickommoinis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “exhale”

  • exhaler
  • exhalable
  • exhalement
  • inexhalable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →