"waste product of the digestive system normally discharged from the bladder," also as a diagnostic tool in medicine and an ingredient in household preparations, c. 1300, from Old Frenchorine,urine (12c.) and directly from Latinurina "urine," from PIE*ur-, which is regarded as the source also of Greekouron "urine." It is held to be a variant of root*we-r- "water, liquid, milk" (source also of Sanskritvar "water," Avestanvar "rain," Lithuanianjūrės "sea," Old Englishwær, Old Norsever "sea," Old Norseur "drizzling rain"), which is related to*eue-dh-r (seeudder).

before vowelsolig-, word-forming element meaning "few, the few," from Greekoligos "few, scanty, small, little," in plural, "the few;" a word of uncertain origin.