Etymograph

English

menstruum

Menstruum comes from Latin mēnstruum ‘menstrual discharge’, from mēnstruus ‘of or pertaining to a month’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s ‘moon’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mḗh₁n̥s1‘moon’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mēns1‘moon’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mēnsis1reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnsis1‘month’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbimēnstris1
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnstruus1‘of or pertaining to a month’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnstruum1‘menstrual discharge’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1661menstruum1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English menstruum
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1661, Robert Boyle: “Whenever any menstruum or other additament is employed, together…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mḗh₁n̥sWiktionary, English menstruum‘moon’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mēnsWiktionary, English menstruum‘moon’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mēnsisWiktionary, English menstruumreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnsisWiktionary, English menstruum‘month’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbimēnstrisWiktionary, English menstruum
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnstruusWiktionary, English menstruum‘of or pertaining to a month’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēnstruumWiktionary, English menstruum‘menstrual discharge’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1661menstruumWiktionary, English menstruum. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1661, Robert Boyle: “Whenever any menstruum or other additament is employed, together…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- ‘to measure’

measure, moral, meal, meter, moody, dimensional, dimension, meta, metric, immense, metre, mesa, madder, asymmetry, commensurate, metrology, mete, metis, firman, mensa, moodiness, metra, 64 more

through Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s ‘moon’

month, moon, sunny, 7 more

through Latin mēnsis ‘month’

menses, 4 more

Today it means

noun The menses; menstrual discharge.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “menstruum”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s / menstruum

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