Etymograph

English

molten

Molten comes from Old English molten ‘melted, molten’, from Proto-Germanic *meltaną ‘to melt’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- ‘to beat, crush, grind’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)meld-‘to beat, crush, grind’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*meltaną‘to melt’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*multanazreconstructedpast participle of *meltaną
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150molten‘melted, molten’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2023same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)meld-‘to beat, crush, grind’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*meltaną‘to melt’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*multanazreconstructedpast participle of *meltaną
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150molten‘melted, molten’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2023same form

Earliest quotation: 2023, Mindy Weisberger: “Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere — an invisible…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- ‘to beat, crush, grind’

email, enamel, mojo, smelt, milt, mojito, moll, schmaltz, 19 more

through Proto-Germanic *meltaną ‘to melt’

melt, 3 more

Today it means

adj Melted, especially due to great heat

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

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

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