Where does “soil” come from?
Soil comes from Old French saoler, from Old French soillier, from Latin solium, from Latin solum meaning ground or foundation, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European sed-.
soil (English): A mixture of mineral particles and organic...
Definitions
- A mixture of mineral particles and organic...
Ancestry of “soil”, step by step
soil traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English solian
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | solian | to soil; become defiled; make or become foul |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | sulwōną | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | sūl- | thick liquid, muck |
via Old French saoler
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | saoler | — |