Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “plumb-” come from?

plumb- (English) comes from Latin plumbosus, from Latin plumbum, from Ancient Greek μόλυβδος, from Proto-Indo-European morkʷ-iyo-.

plumb- (English): Alternative form of plumbo-; used before a vowel

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of plumbo-; used before a vowel

Ancestry of “plumb-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinplumbosusleaden, full of lead
2Latinplumbumlead; ball of lead; pipe of lead
3Ancient Greekμόλυβδοςlead; graphite
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmorkʷ-iyo-—

Words derived from “plumb-”

  • plumbate
  • plumbite
  • plumbian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European morkʷ-iyo- →