Word of the Day - 10/09/26
amalgamate
/ə'mælgə,meɪt/(v.): to bring or combine together or with something else
The two rival companies decided to amalgamate their resources to create a stronger market presence.
(v.): (Metallurgy) to alloy with mercury.
The chemist used mercury to amalgamate the metal, creating a new alloy.
Word Origin
The word 'amalgamate' originated in the late 16th century, deriving from the noun 'amalgam'. 'Amalgam' comes from Medieval Latin 'amalgama', which is believed to be derived from the Arabic 'al-malgham', meaning 'a soft pasty substance'. This Arabic term is related to the Greek word 'malagma' (an emollient or softening substance), which itself stems from 'malassein', meaning 'to soften'. The English verb 'amalgamate' was formed by adding the suffix '-ate' to the noun 'amalgam'.
Words with similar origins include 'malacia', a medical term referring to the softening of a tissue or organ (e.g., osteomalacia), which comes directly from Greek 'malakia' (softness), related to 'malassein'. Another related word is 'mallow', a type of plant, which comes via Latin from Greek 'malache', also connected to the root for 'soft' due to its soft leaves.