Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “moleyne” come from?

moleyne (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman moleine, from Old French mol, 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.

Ancestry of “moleyne”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Normanmoleine—
2Old Frenchmolsoft
3Latinmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,...
4Latinmolduis—
5Proto-Italicmoldus—
6Proto-Indo-European*ml̥dus—
7Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt

Words derived from “moleyne”

  • mullein
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →