Where does “unctuous” come from?
Unctuous comes from Medieval Latin unctuosus, derived from Latin unctum, the past participle of ungere meaning "to anoint," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃engʷ-.
unctuous (English): Oily or greasy; Rich, lush, intense, with layers...
Definitions
- Oily or greasy; Rich, lush, intense, with layers...
Ancestry of “unctuous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | unctuosus | oily, greasy, unctuous |
| 2 | Latin | unctum | nominative neuter singular of ūnctus; accusative... |
| 3 | Latin | unctus | anointed; greasy, oily |
| 4 | Latin | ungō | — |
| 5 | Latin | unguō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | ongʷō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃engʷ- | to smear, to anoint |
Words derived from “unctuous”