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
- The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant;...
Ancestry of “chaff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chaf | Chaff; the parts of harvested grain not usable as... |
| 2 | Old English | ċeaf | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kaf | — |
Words derived from “chaff”