Where does “blowhole” come from?
blowhole (English) comes from English blow, from Middle English blowe, from Old English blōwan, from Proto-West Germanic blōan, from Proto-Germanic blōaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
blowhole (English): The spiracle, on the top of the head, through...
Definitions
- The spiracle, on the top of the head, through...
Ancestry of “blowhole”, step by step
blowhole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English blow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | blow | To produce an air current; To propel by an air... |
| 2 | Middle English | blowe | Alternative form of blowen |
| 3 | Old English | blōwan | to bloom, blossom |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | blōan | to bloom, to flower |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | blōaną | to bloom, to flower |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |