Where does “E-Mail” come from?
E-Mail (German) comes from English e-mail, 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.
E-Mail (German): e-mail
Ancestry of “E-Mail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | e-mail | Alternative spelling of email |
| 2 | English | email | A system for transferring messages from one... |
| 3 | Middle French | email | — |
| 4 | Old French | esmal | enamel |
| 5 | Latin | smaltum | enamel |
| 6 | Frankish | smalt | melted fat; fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | smeltaną | to melt |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |
Words derived from “E-Mail”