Emolliate

[Guest guest]

Brian,

 

Sorry this has been so long but I have been on the road botanizing and

teaching. Emolliate is a common word within the medical field, at least within

the Western herbal tradition and certainly it has its roots within the Western

medical paradigm. Personally, I have known and used the word for years when

referring to salves and various medicinals. And yet, I have rarely, if ever,

used or seen the word mollify in this context. fyi

 

All the best,

Thomas

 

" bcataiji "

Re: emolliate

 

,

wrote:

>

> Please see the following regarding you comment on emolliate. The

entry comes from dictionary. com

>

> emolliate

> \E*mol " li*ate\ (?; 106), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Emolliated; p. pr.

& vb. n. Emolliating.] [see Emollient, a.] To soften; to render

effeminate.

 

 

Webster's online still doesn't have emolliate. You have to go to

their unabbridged version to get to that word. So, it is not so

common.

 

The common word is " mollify. "

 

Here is webster's listing for emmolient:

 

Main Entry: 1emol·lient

Pronunciation: i-'mäl-y & nt

Function: adjective

Etymology: Latin emollient-, emolliens, present participle of

emollire to soften, from e- + mollis soft -- more at MOLLIFY

1 : making soft or supple; also : soothing especially to the skin or

mucous membrane

2 : making less intense or harsh : MOLLIFYING agonies with emollient words -- H.

L. Mencken>

 

 

 

Brian C. Allen

 

 

 

 

Chair Department of Herbal Medicine

Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Adjunct Faculty Department of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

John Burns School of Medicine University of Hawai'i Manoa

Honolulu, HI