Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “surfactant” come from?

surfactant (English) comes from English agent, from Latin agēns, from Latin agō, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

surfactant (English): A surface active agent, or wetting agent, capable...

Definitions

  1. A surface active agent, or wetting agent, capable...

Ancestry of “surfactant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishagentOne who exerts power, or has the power to act;...
2Latinagēns—
3Latinagō—
4Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “surfactant”

  • cosurfactant
  • biosurfactant
  • fluorosurfactant
  • nonsurfactant
  • prosurfactant
  • surfactantless
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →