English
decoction
Decoction comes from Latin decoquō ‘to boil down’, from coquō ‘to cook’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pekʷ-‘to cook, become ripe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pékʷeti‘to be cooking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷekʷō‘to cook’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoquō‘to cook’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecoquō‘to boil down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecoctiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400decoccion
- Englishearliest quotation 1749decoction
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pekʷ-‘to cook, become ripe’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pékʷeti‘to be cooking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷekʷō‘to cook’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoquō‘to cook’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecoquō‘to boil down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecoctiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400decoccion
- Englishearliest quotation 1749decoction
Earliest quotation: 1749, Thomas Short, [Of the Symptoms of Fevers, and Their Cure.] 10th, Of Feveri: “[I]nſtead of Honey, Rob of Elder, Conſerve of Roſes,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- ‘to cook, become ripe’
pumpkin, quitter, ricotta, dyspepsia, peptic, 14 more
through Latin coquō ‘to cook’
coach, kitchen, cook, cuisine, culinary, kiln, concoction, concoct, 6 more
Today it means
noun An extraction or essence of something, obtained by boiling it down.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- / decoction