Etymograph

English

fumigate

Fumigate comes from Latin fūmigātus ‘sooty, smoky, blackish’, from fūmigō ‘to smoke’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰewh₂-‘smoke’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰuh₂mós‘smoke’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θūmosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fūmos‘smoke’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmus‘smoke’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmigō‘to smoke’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmigātus‘sooty, smoky, blackish’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1820fumigate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰewh₂-‘smoke’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰuh₂mós‘smoke’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θūmosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fūmos‘smoke’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmus‘smoke’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmigō‘to smoke’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūmigātus‘sooty, smoky, blackish’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1820fumigate

Earliest quotation: 1820, Walter Scott, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman: “They fumigated the Church with burnt wool and feathers…”

first attested First attested in 1530 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1530; borrowed from Latin fūmigātus, perfect passive participle of fūmigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fūmus (‘smoke’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- ‘smoke’

down, steam, dye, dew, dun, dune, duvet, dag, thymus, typhon, obfuscate, 27 more

through Latin fūmus ‘smoke’

fume, 14 more

through Latin fūmigō ‘to smoke’

funk, 1 more

Today it means

verb To disinfect, purify, or rid of vermin with the fumes of certain chemicals.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- / fumigate

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