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
- Having or showing a sharp or critical quality;...
Ancestry of “mordant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | mordant | present participle of mordre; biting, sharp,... |
| 2 | Latin | mordeō | — |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | mordeō | to bite |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)merd- | to bite, to sting |
Words derived from “mordant”