Where does “arm-wrestle” come from?
arm-wrestle (English) comes from English wrestle, from Middle English wrestlen, from Old English wræstlian, from Old English wrǣstan, from Proto-Germanic wraistijaną, from Proto-Indo-European wreyt-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
arm-wrestle (English): A bout of arm wrestling; To compete in an...
Definitions
- A bout of arm wrestling; To compete in an...
Ancestry of “arm-wrestle”, step by step
arm-wrestle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wrestle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wrestle | A wrestling bout; A struggle; To contend, with an... |
| 2 | Middle English | wrestlen | — |
| 3 | Old English | wræstlian | to wrestle |
| 4 | Old English | wrǣstan | to twist forcibly, wrench |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wraistijaną | to wrest, to twist, to turn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wreyt- | to twist |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via English Arm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Arm | Abbreviation of Armenian |
| 2 | Middle English | arm | arm; poor; miserable, wretched |
| 3 | Old English | earm | arm; poor, miserable |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | arm | arm; poor, miserable; pitiful, pitiable |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | armaz | arm; poor, miserable; pitiful, pitiable |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ermos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |