English
foment
Foment comes from Latin fōmentum ‘lotion’, from foveō ‘heat, cherish’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- ‘to burn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰegʷʰ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰogʷʰéyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θoɣʷejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*foɣʷeō‘to warm, make warm, keep warm’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfoveōas fovēre‘heat, cherish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfōmentum‘lotion’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfōmentāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fomenter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fomenten‘to apply a warm, soft medicament’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876foment
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰegʷʰ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰogʷʰéyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θoɣʷejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*foɣʷeō‘to warm, make warm, keep warm’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfoveōas fovēre‘heat, cherish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfōmentum‘lotion’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfōmentāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fomenter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fomenten‘to apply a warm, soft medicament’
- Englishearliest quotation 1876foment
Earliest quotation: 1876, Eliza Bisbee Duffey: “Sties in the eye are irritating and disfiguring. Foment…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- ‘to burn’
Today it means
verb To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- / foment