Where does “moilsome” come from?

moilsome (English) comes from English moil, 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 — to soften, to melt.

moilsome (English): Involving hard work or drudgery; gruelling

Definitions

  1. Involving hard work or drudgery; gruelling

Ancestry of “moilsome”, step by step

moilsome traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English moil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoilTo toil, to work hard; To churn continually; to...
2Middle Englishmollento soften by wetting
3Old Frenchmoillierto wet
4Vulgar Latinmolliareto soften by soaking; second-person singular...
5Latinmolliāresoak, drench
6Latinmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,...
7Latinmolduis
8Proto-Italicmoldus
9Proto-Indo-European*ml̥dussoft, weak
10Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

via English some

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsomeA certain number, at least two; An indefinite...
2Middle Englishsomsome
3Old Englishsumsome
4Proto-West Germanic*sumsome
5Proto-Germanicsumazsome (one), a certain (one)
6Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld-