Etymograph

English

volatile

Volatile comes from Latin volātilis ‘flying’, from volō ‘to fly’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *gʷelāō.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷelāōreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolō‘to fly’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolātilis‘flying’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600volatile
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2007same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷelāōreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolō‘to fly’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolātilis‘flying’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600volatile
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2007same form

Earliest quotation: 2007, Unwise Arms Deal With Saudi Arabia (2 Letters): “Now Mr. Bush plans to pour more arms into…”

Linked words

through Latin volō ‘to fly’

voluntary, volition, malevolence, 10 more

Today it means

adj Evaporating or vaporizing readily under normal conditions.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *gʷelāō / volatile

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