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