Where does “breast line” come from?

breast line (English) comes from English line, from Middle English line, from Old English līne, from Proto-West Germanic *līnā, from Proto-Germanic līnǭ, from Proto-Germanic līną, from Proto-Indo-European līno- — flax.

breast line (English): A rope used to tie a small ship to a dock, keeping it close to the pier

Definitions

  1. A rope used to tie a small ship to a dock, keeping it close to the pier

Ancestry of “breast line”, step by step

breast line traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English line

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlineA path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight
2Middle Englishlinerope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,...
3Old Englishlīneline, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,...
4Proto-West Germanic*līnāline, chord, rope, string
5Proto-Germaniclīnǭthat which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,...
6Proto-Germaniclīnąflax
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlīno-flax

via English breast

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreastEither of the two organs on the front of a female...
2Middle Englishbrestchest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;...
3Old Englishbrēostchest
4Proto-West Germanicbreustbreast, chest
5Proto-Germanicbreustąbreast, chest
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrews-to break
Every word from Proto-Indo-European līno-Every word from Proto-Germanic līnąEvery word from Proto-Germanic līnǭ