Where does “lubricant” come from?
Lubricant comes from Latin lubricans, the present participle of lubricare, derived from lubricatus, past participle of lubricare, from Latin lubricus meaning slippery, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European slewbʰ-.
lubricant (English): A substance used to reduce friction between...
Definitions
- A substance used to reduce friction between...
Ancestry of “lubricant”, step by step
lubricant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lubricate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lubricate | To make slippery or smooth by applying a... |
| 2 | Latin | lubricatus | lubricated; having been made slippery |
| 3 | Latin | lubrico | I make slippery; I lubricate, oil, grease |
| 4 | Latin | lubricus | slippery, slimy; fleeting; inconstant |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | slouβrikos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | slewbʰ- | slip, slide |
via Latin lubricans
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | lubricans |