Where does “Amalgam” come from?
Amalgam (German) comes from French amalgame, 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- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Amalgam (German): amalgam (alloy containing mercury)
Definitions
- amalgam (alloy containing mercury)
Ancestry of “Amalgam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | amalgame | amalgam; amalgamation; an incongruous mixture;... |
| 2 | Latin | amalgama | amalgam |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | amalgama | mercury alloy; amalgam |
| 4 | Arabic | اَلْمَلْغَم | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μάλαγμα | An emollient, a cataplasm; A padding used in... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μαλάσσω | to soften; to make soft; soften |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μαλακός | soft, tender; gentle; soft, mild, gentle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |