Where does “velvety” come from?
Velvety comes from Middle English -y (a suffix forming adjectives) applied to velvet, which derives from Latin villus (hair or pile), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning hairy or shaggy.
velvety (English): Like velvet; soft, smooth, soothing
Definitions
- Like velvet; soft, smooth, soothing
Ancestry of “velvety”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | velvet | A closely woven fabric with a thick short pile... |
| 2 | Middle English | velvet | velvet; Clothes made of velvet |
| 3 | Old Occitan | veluet | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | villutittus | — |
| 5 | Latin | villutus | shaggy, hairy |
| 6 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 7 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |