Where does “trommelvlies” come from?
trommelvlies (Dutch) comes from Dutch vlies, from Middle Dutch vlies, from Old Dutch flios, from Proto-West Germanic fleus, from Proto-Germanic fleusaz, from Proto-Indo-European plews-, from Proto-Indo-European plúsis — flea.
trommelvlies (Dutch): eardrum
Definitions
- eardrum
Ancestry of “trommelvlies”, step by step
trommelvlies traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch vlies
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | vlies | film, thin layer; membrane; fleece |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | vlies | fleece; thin skin, membrane |
| 3 | Old Dutch | flios | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fleus | fleece |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fleusaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plews- | to pluck, a feather, fleece; to pull out, pluck |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plúsis | flea |