Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Q-ship” come from?

Q-ship (English) comes from English Queenstown, from English town, from English Freetown, from English free, from Middle English free, from Old English frēo, from Proto-Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz — to love, to please.

Q-ship (English): A merchant ship with concealed weaponry, designed...

Definitions

  1. A merchant ship with concealed weaponry, designed...

Ancestry of “Q-ship”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishQueenstown—
2EnglishtownA settlement; an area with residential districts,...
3EnglishFreetown—
4EnglishfreeUnconstrained; Obtainable without any payment;...
5Middle Englishfree—
6Old Englishfrēofree, joyful
7Proto-Germanic*frī—
8Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please
Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH- →