Where does “coax” come from?
I need to flag that this chain appears problematic. The headword is "coax" (English), but the chain provided traces "cox/coke/cocaine/coca" — these are distinct etymological paths that don't lead to "coax."
Additionally, the chain includes "Latin -inus" twice (a suffix) and ends with "Proto-Indo-European gog," but there's no clear semantic or phonetic bridge showing how these elements combine to form "coax" (meaning to persuade gradually).
**I cannot write an accurate one-sentence summary because the chain doesn't support the headword "coax."**
Could you verify:
1. Is the headword definitely "coax"?
2. Is the chain complete and correct?
If you meant to trace a different word (like "coca" or "cocaine"), I can write that summary instead.
coax (English): To fondle, kid, pet, tease; To wheedle, persuade ...
Definitions
- To fondle, kid, pet, tease; To wheedle, persuade ...
Ancestry of “coax”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | coaxial | Having a common central axis; A coaxial cable |
| 2 | English | co- | together; mutually; jointly; partner or... |
| 3 | Latin | co- | allomorph of con- |
| 4 | Latin | cōn- | — |
| 5 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 6 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 10 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 11 | German | kitt | — |
| 12 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 13 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 14 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
Words derived from “coax”