Where does “softwater” come from?

softwater (English) comes from English water, from Middle English water, from Old English wæter, from Proto-West Germanic watar, from Proto-Germanic watōr, from Proto-Indo-European wódr̥, from Proto-Indo-European wed-, from Proto-Indo-European wey- — to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...

softwater (English): Having water with few electrolytes

Definitions

  1. Having water with few electrolytes

Ancestry of “softwater”, step by step

softwater traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English water

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwaterA substance found at room temperature and...
2Middle Englishwaterwater; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,...
3Old Englishwæterwater
4Proto-West Germanicwatarwater
5Proto-Germanicwatōrwater
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwódr̥water
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwed-water
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwey-to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...

via English soft

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsoftEasily giving way under pressure; Smooth and...
2Middle Englishsoftesoft
3Old Englishsōftesoftly
4Proto-West Germanicsamftōsoftly, gently
5Proto-West GermanicCreates adverbs from adjectives; Creates agent...
6Proto-Germanic-ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade...
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanDerives nouns from roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wey-