Where does “brownnose” come from?

brownnose (English) comes from English nose, from Middle English nōse, from Old French nous, from Latin nōs, from Proto-Italic nōs, from Proto-Indo-European wéy, from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ — I.

brownnose (English): One who brownnoses; one who sucks up; a...

Definitions

  1. One who brownnoses; one who sucks up; a...

Ancestry of “brownnose”, step by step

brownnose traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English nose

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnoseA protuberance on the face housing the nostrils,...
2Middle Englishnōsenose
3Old FrenchnousAlternative form of nos
4Latinnōswe, us
5Proto-Italicnōswe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwéywe
7Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

via English Brown

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBrownAlternative letter-case form of brown
2Middle Englishbroundark, dull, murky; brown; brown-haired
3Old EnglishBrūnbrown
4Proto-Germanicbrūnazbrown
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerH-to pierce; to strike; brown

Words derived from “brownnose”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ →