alluvial

alluvial
\ \ [19] Alluvial material is material that has been washed down and deposited by running water. Hence the term; for its ultimate source, Latin lavere (a variant of lavāre, which produced English latrine, laundry, lava, lavatory, lavish, and lotion), meant ‘wash’. Addition of the prefix ad- ‘to’ changed lavere to luere, giving alluerewash against’. Derived from this were the noun alluviō (source of the English technical term alluvionalluvium’) and the adjective alluvius, whose neuter form alluvium became a noun meaning ‘material deposited by running water’.
\ \ English adopted alluvium in the 17th century, and created the adjective alluvial from it in the 19th century.
\ \ If Latin alluere meant ‘wash against’, abluere meant ‘wash away’. Its noun form was ablūtiō, which English acquired as ablution in the 14th century.
\ \ Cf.ABLUTION, LATRINE, LAUNDRY, LAVATORY, LAVISH, LOTION

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • alluvial — alluvial, iale, iaux [ a(l)lyvjal, jo ] adj. • 1802; du rad. de alluvion ♦ Produit ou constitué par des alluvions. Vallée alluviale. Terrains alluviaux. ● alluvial, alluviale, alluviaux adjectif Constitué par des alluvions ou issu d un processus… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Alluvial — Al*lu vi*al, n. Alluvial soil; specif., in Australia, gold bearing alluvial soil. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Alluvial — Al*lu vi*al, a. [Cf. F. alluvial. See {Alluvion}.] Pertaining to, contained in, or composed of, alluvium; relating to the deposits made by flowing water; washed away from one place and deposited in another; as, alluvial soil, mud, accumulations,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • alluvial — (adj.) 1802, from L. alluvius alluvial (see ALLUVIUM (Cf. alluvium)) + AL (Cf. al) (1) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Alluviāl — (v. lat.), angeschwemmt …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Alluvial — Alluviāl (lat.), angeschwemmt …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Alluvial — Alluvial, angeschwemmt, Alluvialboden, angeschwemmtes Land …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • alluvial — alluvial, ale (al lu vi al, a l ) adj. Terme de géologie. Qui a les caractères, ou qui est le produit d une alluvion. Plaine alluviale. Terrains alluviaux. ÉTYMOLOGIE    Voy. alluvion …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • alluvial — [ə lo͞o′vē əl, alo͞o′vē əl] adj. [< L alluvius (see ALLUVION) + AL] of, found in, or made up of, alluvium n. ALLUVIUM …   English World dictionary

  • alluvial — I. adjective Date: 1802 relating to, composed of, or found in alluvium < alluvial soil > < alluvial diamonds > II. noun Date: 1841 an alluvial deposit …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • alluvial — /əˈluviəl / (say uh loohveeuhl) adjective 1. of or relating to alluvium. 2. of or relating to a mine, claim, diggings, etc., on alluvial soil. –noun 3. soil deposited by flowing water. 4. the alluvial, gold bearing alluvial ground. {Latin… …  

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