Where does “smaltum” come from?
smaltum (Medieval Latin) comes from Frankish smalt, from Proto-Germanic smeltaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.
smaltum (Medieval Latin): enamel
Ancestry of “smaltum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Frankish | smalt | melted fat; fat, lard; oil, semi-liquid fat |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | smeltaną | to melt |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |
Words derived from “smaltum”