Etymograph

English

pomade

Pomade comes from French pommade ‘ointment’, from Italian pomo ‘apple’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-1‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂po-h₁ém-os1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*poomos1‘fruit’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōmum2‘fruit, apple’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentpomo2‘apple’
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentpomata2‘ointment, pomade’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentpommade2‘ointment’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1680pomade2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin pomum
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English pomade
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1680, T. K., The Kitchin-Phyſician; Or: “With this excellent Pomade you may Anoint your Face…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-Wiktionary, Latin pomum‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂po-h₁ém-osWiktionary, Latin pomumreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*poomosWiktionary, Latin pomum‘fruit’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōmumWiktionary, English pomade‘fruit, apple’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentpomoWiktionary, English pomade‘apple’
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentpomataWiktionary, English pomade‘ointment, pomade’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentpommadeWiktionary, English pomade‘ointment’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1680pomadeWiktionary, English pomade. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1680, T. K., The Kitchin-Phyſician; Or: “With this excellent Pomade you may Anoint your Face…”

The story

Early pomades tended to be various kinds of fat mixed with apples for a more pleasing scent.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’

assume, consumer, premium, resume, assumption, consume, exempt, redemption, ransom, redeem, sumptuous, consumable, preemption, emptor, overconsumption, 56 more

through Latin pōmum ‘fruit, apple’

pommel, 8 more

Today it means

noun A greasy or waxy substance that is used to style hair, making it look slick and shiny.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “pomade”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin pomum. 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 *h₁em- / pomade

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