Where does “mordant” come from?

Mordant derives from French mordant, from Latin mordēre meaning "to bite," from Proto-Indo-European merə-, itself from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd-.

mordant (English): Having or showing a sharp or critical quality;...

Definitions

  1. Having or showing a sharp or critical quality;...

Ancestry of “mordant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmordantpresent participle of mordre; biting, sharp,...
2Latinmordeōto bite (into); nibble, gnaw
3Proto-Italicmordeōto bite
4Proto-Indo-European(s)merd-to bite, to sting

Words derived from “mordant”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- →Every word from Proto-Italic mordeō →Every word from Latin mordeō →
mordant — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer