Where does “chaff” come from?

Chaff derives from Middle English chaf, Old English cæf, Proto-Germanic kafą, and Proto-Indo-European ǵebʰ-, a root meaning to grasp or seize.

chaff (English): The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant;...

Definitions

  1. The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant;...

Ancestry of “chaff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishchafChaff; the parts of harvested grain not usable as...
2Old Englishċeafchaff
3Proto-West Germanickafchaff

Words derived from “chaff”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic kaf →Every word from Old English ċeaf →Every word from Middle English chaf →