Where does “émail” come from?

émail (French) comes from English email, from Middle French email, from Old French esmal, from Latin smaltum, from Frankish smalt, from Proto-Germanic smeltaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.

émail (French): enamel; vitreous enamel; glaze

Definitions

  1. enamel; vitreous enamel; glaze

Ancestry of “émail”, step by step

émail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English email

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishemailA system for transferring messages from one...
2Middle Frenchemail—
3Old Frenchesmalenamel
4Latinsmaltumenamel
5Frankishsmaltmelted fat; fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat
6Proto-Germanicsmeltanąto melt
7Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

via Italian smalto

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiansmaltoenamel; glaze; tincture
2Old Occitanesmaltenamel

Words derived from “émail”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smeltaną →Every word from Frankish smalt →