Where does “moisture” come from?
Moisture comes from Middle English moisture, Old French moistour and moisteur, from Latin mustum meaning new wine or must, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mus-.
moisture (English): That which moistens or makes damp or wet; exuding...
Definitions
- That which moistens or makes damp or wet; exuding...
Ancestry of “moisture”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | moisture | moistness, wetness; moisture, humidity; fluid,... |
| 2 | Old French | moistour | Alternative form of moisteur; moisture, dampness,... |
| 3 | Old French | moisteur | moistness |
| 4 | Old French | moiste | damp; wet; clammy; moist |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | mucidus | moldy, musty; sniveling |
| 6 | Latin | mucidus | moldy, musty; sniveling |
| 7 | Latin | mūceō | to be mouldy or musty |
| 8 | Latin | mūcus | mucus |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | moukos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | mew-k- | slimy, slippery; slip, slime |