Where does “axe” come from?
Axe comes from Old English āscian, a word of uncertain ultimate origin traced to Proto-Indo-European roots possibly meaning "to drive" or related to sharpness.
axe (English): A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc....
Definitions
- A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc....
Ancestry of “axe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ex | Alternative form of ax |
| 2 | Old English | æx | an axe, used as a weapon or cutting-tool |
| 3 | Old English | æces | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | akusi | axe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | akwisī | axe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂egʷs-ih₂- | axe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |