Where does “contraption” come from?
Contraption derives from Old French controver, itself from Latin tropus, from Ancient Greek τρόπος meaning "turn" or "way," ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European drem- meaning "to run."
contraption (English): A machine that is complicated and precarious; Any...
Definitions
- A machine that is complicated and precarious; Any...
Ancestry of “contraption”, step by step
contraption traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English contrive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | contrive | To invent by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise;... |
| 2 | Middle English | contreve | to invent |
| 3 | Old French | controver | — |
| 4 | Old French | trover | to find |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | tropare | to compose; present active infinitive of *tropō |
| 6 | Latin | tropus | a figurative use of a word, a trope; a way of... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | τρόπος | a turn, way, manner, style; a trope or figure of... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | τροπή | a turning; turning away the enemy, a rout;... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ή | suffix of feminine nouns in the [[Appendix:Ancient Greek first declension |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | -ᾱ | nominal suffix |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂ | — |
via English trap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trap | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body |
| 2 | Middle English | trappe | trap |
| 3 | Old English | træppe | a trap |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | trap- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dreb- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | der- | to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to... |