Where does “molar” come from?
molar (Galician) comes from Galician mol, from Old Portuguese mole, 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.
molar (Galician): soft, softer
Definitions
- soft, softer
Ancestry of “molar”, step by step
molar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Galician mol
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galician | mol | soft; flexible, pliant; weak, lacking strength |
| 2 | Old Portuguese | mole | soft |
| 3 | Latin | mollis | soft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,... |
| 4 | Latin | molduis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | moldus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | *ml̥dus | soft, weak |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |
via Latin molaris
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | molaris | millstone; molar; second-person singular present... |
| 2 | Latin | mola | millstone; mill; ground meal |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |