Reconstruction:Latin/mollio

This Latin entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Latin

Etymology

From mollis (“soft”) +‎ -ō (verb-forming suffix). Compare the Classical verb mollīre (“soften”), which it mostly displaced in Romance. For the sense development from 'soften' to 'soak', compare German einweichen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɔlʲo/

Verb

*molliō (present infinitive *molliāre, perfect active *molliāvī, supine *molliātum); first conjugation

(Proto-Romance) soak, drench

Descendants

Balkan Romance:
- Aromanian: molj
- Romanian: muia
Italo-Romance:
- Sicilian: mogghiari, muddiari
North Italian:
- Emilian: mujà
- Lombard: mojà
- Piedmontese: meuia, mujè
- Venetian: mojar, mogiar
Gallo-Romance:
- Catalan: mullar
- Old French: moillier, muillier
  - French: mouiller
  - → English: moil
- Occitan: molhar
Ibero-Romance:
- Asturian: moyar
- Old Portuguese: mollar
  - Galician: mollar
  - Portuguese: molhar
- Spanish: mojar

References

Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “*mŏlliare”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 6/3: Mobilis–Myxa, page 43