Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “micelle” come from?

Micelle comes from New Latin micella, a diminutive of Latin mica meaning "grain" or "crumb," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European smeyg-.

micelle (English): a colloidal aggregate, in a simple geometric...

Definitions

  1. a colloidal aggregate, in a simple geometric...

Ancestry of “micelle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1New Latinmicella—
2Latinmīca—
3Proto-Italicsmīkā—
4Proto-Indo-Europeansmēyg-small, delicate, thin; twig, pole; crumb; small,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeansmē-to rub; smear

Words derived from “micelle”

  • micellar
  • micellization
  • hemimicelle
  • premicellar
  • nonmicellar
  • micellarization
  • micellize
  • nanomicellar
  • nanomicelle
  • micellarized
  • submicelle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European smē- →