Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “paraffin” come from?

Paraffin comes from Latin paraffinum, formed from parum (little) and ad (to), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European ád, combined with Latin finis (end) from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʰ-.

paraffin (English): A petroleum-based thin and colorless fuel oil;...

Definitions

  1. A petroleum-based thin and colorless fuel oil;...

Ancestry of “paraffin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinparaffinumparaffin, alkane
2Latinaffinisneighbouring, allied to, kindred
3LatinAd—
4Latinilliche, she, it, yonder, that, overthere; in that...
5Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
6LatinolleArchaic form of ille
7Proto-Italic*olnos—

Words derived from “paraffin”

  • paraffinic
  • parafilm
  • deparaffinization
  • isoparaffin
  • cycloparaffin
  • paraffiny
  • isoparaffinic
  • deparaffined
  • paraffinization
  • deparaffinize
  • paraffinoma
  • deparaffination
  • deparaffinisation
  • nonparaffin
  • paraffinate
  • nitroparaffin
  • paraffinize
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnos →