Etymograph

English

emollient

Emollient comes from Latin emolliēns ‘softening’, from ēmolliō ‘make soft’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- ‘to soften, melt’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)meld-‘to soften, melt’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ml̥dus‘soft, weak’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moldusreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmollis‘soft’next step skipped: Latin molliō
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēmolliō‘make soft’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEemolliēns‘softening’present active participle of ēmolliō
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentémollient
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1749emollient

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)meld-‘to soften, melt’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ml̥dus‘soft, weak’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moldusreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmollis‘soft’next step skipped: Latin molliō
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēmolliō‘make soft’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEemolliēns‘softening’present active participle of ēmolliō
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentémollient
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1749emollient

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,…”

Equivalent to e- + mollis + -i- + -ent

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- ‘to soften, melt’

email, melt, enamel, molten, milt, schmaltz, molt, 16 more

through Proto-Italic *moldus

mollusc, mollify, 13 more

through Latin mollis ‘soft’

mojo, mojito, moll, 15 more

Today it means

noun Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- / emollient

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