Where does “clawfooted” come from?

clawfooted (English) comes from English footed, from Middle English foted, from Middle English fot, from Old English fōt, from Proto-West Germanic fōt, from Proto-Germanic fōts, from Proto-Indo-European pṓds, from Proto-Indo-European póds — to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall.

clawfooted (English): Having decorative feet that resemble claws

Definitions

  1. Having decorative feet that resemble claws

Ancestry of “clawfooted”, step by step

clawfooted traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English footed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfootedsimple past tense and past participle of foot;...
2Middle EnglishfotedHaving a type or number of feet; footed;...
3Middle Englishfotfoot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of...
4Old Englishfōtfoot
5Proto-West Germanicfōtfoot
6Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
9Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via English claw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclawA curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the...
2Middle EnglishclaweA claw; a horny nail on the feet of certain...
3Old Englishclawuclaw
4Proto-West Germanic*klawu
5Proto-Germanicklawōclaw
6Proto-Germanicklawjanąto claw or scratch
7Proto-Indo-Europeanglew-Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped-
clawfooted — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer