Etymograph

English

mordant

Mordant comes from Latin mordeō ‘to bite (into)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)merd-‘to bite, to sting’root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mord-éye-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mordeō‘to bite’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmordeō‘to bite (into)’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentmordant
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1964same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)merd-‘to bite, to sting’root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mord-éye-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mordeō‘to bite’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmordeō‘to bite (into)’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentmordant
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1964same form

Earliest quotation: 1964, L.F. Salzman, English Industries of the Middle Ages: “In dyeing two mediums are required, the colouring matter…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- ‘to bite, to sting’

smart, 6 more

through Proto-Italic *mordeō ‘to bite’

morsel, 4 more

through Latin mordeō ‘to bite (into)’

remorse, morse, 5 more

Today it means

adj Having or showing a sharp or critical quality.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- / mordant

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