niter

The story

1. Egyptian · derived fromnṯrj“natron”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromνίτρον
3. Latin · derived fromnitrum“native soda, natron”
4. Old French · derived fromnitre
5. Middle English · inherited fromniter
6. English todayniter

From Middle English niter, nitere, nitre, nytre, from Old French nitre, from Latin nitrum (“native soda, natron”), from Ancient Greek νίτρον (nítron). Ultimately from Egyptian nṯrj (“natron”). Doublet of natron and trona. Compare also natrium, nitrogen. Compare reconstructed Proto-Germanic *lauþrą (“nitre”) related to Modern English lye.

Words from the same roots