Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “moil” come from?

moil (English) comes from Middle English mollen, from Old French moillier, from Vulgar Latin molliare, from Latin molliāre, from Latin mollis, from Latin molduis, from Proto-Italic moldus, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus — to soften, to melt.

moil (English): To toil, to work hard; To churn continually; to...

Definitions

  1. To toil, to work hard; To churn continually; to...

Ancestry of “moil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmollento soften by wetting
2Old Frenchmoillierto wet
3Vulgar Latinmolliareto soften by soaking; second-person singular...
4Latinmolliāre—
5Latinmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,...
6Latinmolduis—
7Proto-Italicmoldus—
8Proto-Indo-European*ml̥dus—
9Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

Words derived from “moil”

  • bemoil
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →