Where does “apehanger” come from?

apehanger (English) comes from English hanger, from English Hang, from English dang, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum — to share, divide.

apehanger (English): A tall handlebar

Definitions

  1. A tall handlebar

Ancestry of “apehanger”, step by step

apehanger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hanger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhangerOne who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman,...
2EnglishHangName and trademark of a musical instrument...
3EnglishdangDamn; A damn, a negligible quantity, minimal...
4EnglishdamnTo condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare...
5Middle Englishdampnento damn
6Old Frenchdampnerto damn
7Latindamnōto discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject
8Latindamnumdamage or injury; loss; a fine
9Proto-Italicdapnom
10Proto-Indo-Europeandh₂pnómexpense, investment
11Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂p-to sacrifice; to lose
12Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂-to share, divide

via English ape

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishapeA primate of the clade Hominoidea, generally...
2Middle EnglishapeAn ape or monkey; a simian creature; A deceiver;...
3Old Englishapamonkey, ape
4Proto-West Germanicapōape, monkey
5Proto-Germanicapôape, monkey
6Proto-Indo-Europeanabō-ape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deh₂-