Where does “blueprint” come from?

Blueprint derives from English blue and print, with blue tracing to Middle English blewe, Proto-Germanic blewwaną, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European bʰlēw-.

blueprint (English): A type of paper-based reproduction process...

Definitions

  1. A type of paper-based reproduction process...

Ancestry of “blueprint”, step by step

blueprint traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English print

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprintOf, relating to, or writing for printed...
2Middle Englishprinten—
3Middle Englishemprinten—
4Old Frenchempreinter—
5Old Frenchempreindre—
6Latinimprimeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7LatinimprimoI press, impress; I print, imprint, stamp
8Latinīn-un-, non-, not
9Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
10Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
11Proto-Italicenin
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

via English Blue

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBlueA letterman at Oxford or Cambridge; A member of...
2Middle Englishblēwe—
3Anglo-Normanblewblue
4Middle Frenchbleublue
5Old Frenchblöeblue
6Latvianblāvusaccusative plural masculine form of blāvs
7Old High Germanblāoblue, dark, grey; blue; yellow
8Proto-West Germanicblāublue
9Proto-Germanicblēwazblue; a dark bluish or grey colour, black
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰlēw-yellow, blond, grey

Words derived from “blueprint”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →Every word from Latin īn- →Every word from Proto-Italic en →