Where does “amalgame” come from?
amalgame (French) comes from Latin amalgama, from Medieval Latin amalgama, from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم, from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα, from Ancient Greek μαλάσσω, from Ancient Greek μαλακός, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
amalgame (French): amalgam; amalgamation; an incongruous mixture;...
Definitions
- amalgam; amalgamation; an incongruous mixture;...
Ancestry of “amalgame”, step by step
amalgame traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin amalgama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | amalgama | amalgam |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | amalgama | mercury alloy; amalgam |
| 3 | Arabic | اَلْمَلْغَم | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μάλαγμα | An emollient, a cataplasm; A padding used in... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μαλάσσω | to soften; to make soft; soften |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μαλακός | soft, tender; gentle; soft, mild, gentle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
via Spanish amalgama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | amalgama | amalgam |