Where does “claw hammer” come from?
claw hammer (English) comes from English claw, from Middle English clawe, from Old English clawu, from Proto-West Germanic *klawu, from Proto-Germanic klawō, from Proto-Germanic klawjaną, from Proto-Indo-European glew-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.
claw hammer (English): A hammer with two prongs protruding back from the...
Definitions
- A hammer with two prongs protruding back from the...
Ancestry of “claw hammer”, step by step
claw hammer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English claw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | claw | A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | clawe | A claw; a horny nail on the feet of certain... |
| 3 | Old English | clawu | claw |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *klawu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klawō | claw |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | klawjaną | to claw or scratch |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | glew- | Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
via English Hammer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hammer | someone connected with West Ham Football Club, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | hamer | A hammer; A fierce individual; one with strong... |
| 3 | Old English | hamor | hammer |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hamar | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hamaraz | hammer |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱmoros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éḱmō | stone |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |