Where does “FOSSer” come from?

FOSSer (English) comes from English FOSS, from Icelandic foss, from Old Norse fors, from Proto-Germanic fursaz, from Pre-Germanic pŕ̥sos, from Proto-Indo-European pers- — to sprinkle, to spatter.

FOSSer (English): A user or advocate of free open source software

Definitions

  1. A user or advocate of free open source software

Ancestry of “FOSSer”, step by step

FOSSer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English FOSS

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFOSSInitialism of Free and Open Source Software
2Icelandicfossa waterfall
3Old Norseforsa waterfall
4Proto-Germanicfursazwaterfall, torrent
5Pre-Germanicpŕ̥sos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpers-to sprinkle, to spatter

via Catalan fossa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Catalanfossagrave, pit; fossa
2Latinfossaditch, trench, moat; gutter, waterway; grave
3Latinfodiōto dig, dig up, dig out; to bury; to dig or clear out the earth from a place; to mine, quarry
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰod-to pierce, dig
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pers- →