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 alluere ‘wash against’. Derived from this were the noun alluviō (source of the English technical term alluvion ‘alluvium’) 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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