Where does “businesswear” come from?
businesswear (English) comes from English business, from Middle English busines, from Old English bisiġnes, from Old English -nes, from Proto-West Germanic -nassī, from Proto-Germanic -inassuz, from Proto-West Germanic -ī, from Proto-Germanic -į̄ — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
businesswear (English): Clothing designed to be worn in a business...
Definitions
- Clothing designed to be worn in a business...
Ancestry of “businesswear”, step by step
businesswear traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English business
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | business | A specific commercial enterprise or... |
| 2 | Middle English | busines | — |
| 3 | Old English | bisiġnes | business, busyness |
| 4 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
via English Wear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wear | The cities of Durham and Sunderland are situated upon its grand banks |
| 2 | Middle English | weren | Plural past indicative form of been; Plural... |
| 3 | Old English | werian | to wear; to defend, protect |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |