Etymology of the English word surfactant
the English word
surfactantderived from the English word
agentderived from the Latin word
agens (advocate, pleader; secret police; efficient, effective, powerful)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
agere (to drive; drive, urge, conduct)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*ag-Date
The earliest known usage of surfactant in English dates from the 20th century.
Derivations in other languages
Italian
surfattanteUsage
Word found in Modern English
