Etymograph

English

macchiato

Macchiato comes from Italian caffè macchiato ‘stained coffee’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *smeH- ‘to wipe’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*smeH-‘to wipe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sm̥Htlómreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smaklomreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmacula‘stain’next step skipped: Latin maculō
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmaculātus‘stained’form of macula
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentmacchiato‘stained, marked’
  7. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentcaffè macchiato‘stained coffee’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1995macchiato

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*smeH-‘to wipe’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sm̥Htlómreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smaklomreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmacula‘stain’next step skipped: Latin maculō
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmaculātus‘stained’form of macula
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentmacchiato‘stained, marked’
  7. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentcaffè macchiato‘stained coffee’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1995macchiato

Earliest quotation: 1995, Suzanne Hamlin, Coffee Drinks That Are Cool and Creamy: “Formerly used only in Italy and Seattle, it includes…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *smaklom

mailed, maillot, 8 more

through Latin macula ‘stain’

mail, mackerel, mancha, macula, 10 more

through Latin maculātus ‘stained’

immaculate, 1 more

Today it means

noun Espresso topped with steamed milk.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *smeH- / macchiato

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