Etymology

paraffin

P3A1R1A1F4F4I1N1

Today it means: A petroleum-based thin and colourless fuel oil. Full definition →

Latin paraffinum
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromparaffinum
  2. English todayparaffin

From Latin paraffinum, from parum (too little) + affinis (related, affinity). Therefore low affinity or being chemically neutral.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.