Where does “moisten” come from?
Moisten comes from Middle English -en (verb suffix) added to Middle French moiste, which derives from Latin mustum meaning "new wine" or "must," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "fresh" or "new."
moisten (English): To make moist or moister; To become moist or...
Definitions
- To make moist or moister; To become moist or...
Ancestry of “moisten”, step by step
moisten traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English moist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | moist | Slightly wet; characterised by the presence of... |
| 2 | Middle English | moist | — |
| 3 | Old French | moiste | damp; wet; clammy; moist |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | mucidus | moldy, musty; sniveling |
| 5 | Latin | mucidus | moldy, musty; sniveling |
| 6 | Latin | mūceō | to be mouldy or musty |
| 7 | Latin | mūcus | mucus |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | moukos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mew-k- | slimy, slippery; slip, slime |