Where does “billhook” come from?
billhook (English) comes from English hook, from Swedish hök, from Old Swedish høker, from Middle Low German hȫker, from Old High German huchan, from Proto-Germanic *hūkan-, from Proto-Germanic *hūkkan-, from Proto-Germanic *huk(k)ōn- — flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten.
billhook (English): A medieval polearm with a similar construct,...
Definitions
- A medieval polearm with a similar construct,...
Ancestry of “billhook”, step by step
billhook traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hook
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hook | A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with... |
| 2 | Swedish | hök | a hawk; a hawk; proponent of aggressive politics |
| 3 | Old Swedish | høker | hawk |
| 4 | Middle Low German | hȫker | peddler |
| 5 | Old High German | huchan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *hūkan- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *hūkkan- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *huk(k)ōn- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | *kuk-néh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewk- | flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten |
via English Bill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bill | A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill" |
| 2 | Middle English | bill | — |
| 3 | Old English | bil | a kind of sword or other bladed weapon,... |
| 4 | Frankish | billi | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bilją | a cutting implement; blade; axe; sword; spike;... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | harjaz | army; army leader; commander; warrior |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |