Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “bémol” come from?

bémol (French) comes from Latin mollis, from Latin molduis, from Proto-Italic moldus, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.

bémol (French): flat, bemol; dampener

Definitions

  1. flat, bemol; dampener

Ancestry of “bémol”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,...
2Latinmolduis—
3Proto-Italicmoldus—
4Proto-Indo-European*ml̥dus—
5Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

Words derived from “bémol”

  • bémoliser
  • بمل
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →