Where does “boxthorn” come from?
boxthorn (English) comes from English box, from French boxer, from French -er, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō — he, she.
boxthorn (English): Any plant of the genus "Lycium"
Definitions
- Any plant of the genus "Lycium"
Ancestry of “boxthorn”, step by step
boxthorn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English box
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | box | Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or... |
| 2 | French | boxer | boxer; boxer shorts, boxers; to box |
| 3 | French | -er | Forms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs |
| 4 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 5 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 6 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 7 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English thorn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thorn | A sharp protective spine of a plant; Any shrub or... |
| 2 | Middle English | þorn | Alternative form of thorn |
| 3 | Old English | þorn | thorn; thorny bush; the runic character ᚦ; the... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þorn | thorn, briar |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þurnuz | thorn, briar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tr̥nós | sharp, stiff |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter- | strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to... |