Where does “foment” come from?
Foment derives from Middle English fomenten, from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin fomentare, from Latin fomentum meaning a warm poultice, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root dʰegʷʰ- meaning to burn or warm.
foment (English): To incite or cause troublesome acts; to...
Definitions
- To incite or cause troublesome acts; to...
Ancestry of “foment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fomenten | To apply a warm, soft medicament |
| 2 | Old French | fomenter | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | fomentare | — |
| 4 | Latin | fōmentum | A warm application, lotion, compress or poultice, fomentation |
| 5 | Latin | fovere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 6 | Latin | foveo | I warm, keep warm; I nurture, cherish, foster; I... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | foɣʷeō | to warm, to make warm, to keep warm |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | θoɣʷejō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰogʷʰ-éye-ti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰegʷʰ- | to burn; warm, hot |