English
malvoisie
Malvoisie comes from Italian malvasia ‘malvasia (grapevine)’, from Ancient Greek Μονεμβασία ‘Monemvasia’, and ultimately from Proto-Hellenic *mónwos.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘only one’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜονεμβασίαMonembasía‘Monemvasia’
- Italianc. 1300–presentmalvasia‘malvasia (grapevine)’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400malvesey
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malvesye‘malvoisie, malmsey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852malvoisie
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mónwosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμόνοςmónos‘only one’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜονεμβασίαMonembasía‘Monemvasia’
- Italianc. 1300–presentmalvasia‘malvasia (grapevine)’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400malvesey
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malvesye‘malvoisie, malmsey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852malvoisie
Earliest quotation: 1852, The Royalist and the Republican: “Now this Malvoisie has a body, and slips down…”
The story
From Middle English malvesye, malvesyn, from Anglo-Norman malvesey, malvoisin and Middle French malvoisie (which the modern form is influenced by), from Italian malvasia, from Ancient Greek Μονεμβασία (Monembasía, “Monemvasia”, a city on the Peloponnese), from μόνος (mónos, “only one”) + ἔμβασις (émbasis, “entering into”, ἐν + βάσις).
Linked words
through Ancient Greek μόνος ‘only one’
monk, monastery, munch, minster, monolith, monochromatic, monad, monism, 13 more
Today it means
noun Synonym of malmsey (“wine”).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *mónwos / malvoisie