English
propellent
Propellent comes from Latin prōpellēns ‘hurling, propelling’, from prōpellō ‘to drive, push or urge forth or forward’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellō‘to drive, push or urge forth or forward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellēns‘hurling, propelling’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellēnt-
- Englishearliest quotation 1915propellent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellō‘to drive, push or urge forth or forward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellēns‘hurling, propelling’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpellēnt-
- Englishearliest quotation 1915propellent
Earliest quotation: 1915, Leonard Metcalf, Harrison Prescott Eddy: “whereas if more propellent force is required, an explosive…”
Formed from propel + -ent
Latin pellō ‘to push, to move’
Latin propellō ‘to drive, push or urge forth or forward’
Middle English propellen ‘drive out, expel’
English propel
The story
Less common than propellant despite being more correct from an etymological viewpoint.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- ‘to approach’
through Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’
impulse, repulse, repellent, 10 more
through Latin pellō ‘push, drive’
appeal, pulse, compulsory, repeal, expulsion, compulsive, compel, appellate, expel, repel, dispel, pelt, impel, rappel, 16 more
through Latin prōpellō ‘to drive, push or urge forth or forward’
Today it means
noun Capable of propelling.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *pelnō / propellent