Where does “lip salve” come from?
lip salve (English) comes from English salve, from Middle English salve, from Old English sealf, from Proto-West Germanic salbu, from Proto-Germanic salbō, from Proto-Indo-European solp-éh₂, from Proto-Indo-European selp- — fat, oil.
Ancestry of “lip salve”, step by step
lip salve traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English salve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | salve | An ointment, cream, or balm with soothing,... |
| 2 | Middle English | salve | Alternative form of sauf |
| 3 | Old English | sealf | salve |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | salbu | salve, ointment |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | salbō | salve, ointment |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | solp-éh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | selp- | fat, oil |