Where does “catfall” come from?

catfall (English) comes from English Cat, from English concatenate, from Latin concatenatus, from Latin concateno, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

catfall (English): A rope used in hoisting the anchor to the cathead

Definitions

  1. A rope used in hoisting the anchor to the cathead

Ancestry of “catfall”, step by step

catfall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Cat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCatA piece of heavy machinery, such as a backhoe, of...
2EnglishconcatenateTo join or link together, as though in a chain;...
3Latinconcatenatuswhich is to be linked or bound together or connected
4Latinconcatenoconcatenate; link or chain together
5Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt
12Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
13Old High Germankuti
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English fall

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfall"To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";...
2Middle Englishfall
3Old EnglishfeallAlternative form of fiell
4Proto-Germanicfallą
5Proto-Indo-European(s)pōl-to fall
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-