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

  1. Oily or greasy; Rich, lush, intense, with layers...

Ancestry of “unctuous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinunctuosusoily, greasy, unctuous
2Latinunctumnominative neuter singular of ūnctus; accusative...
3Latinunctusanointed; greasy, oily
4Latinungōto anoint, smear with oil, grease
5Latinunguō—
6Proto-Italicongʷōto anoint
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃engʷ-to smear, to anoint

Words derived from “unctuous”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃engʷ- →Every word from Proto-Italic ongʷō →Every word from Latin unguō →