Where does “mole” come from?
mole (Spanish) comes 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 “mole”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | mollis | soft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible,... |
| 2 | Latin | molduis | — |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | moldus | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | *ml̥dus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |