Where does “countershaft” come from?
countershaft (English) comes from English counter, from Middle English countour, from Middle French contoir, from Middle French compter, from Old French compter, from Latin computāre, from Latin computō, from Latin com- — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
countershaft (English): A jackshaft
Ancestry of “countershaft”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | counter | One who counts; A reckoner; someone who collects... |
| 2 | Middle English | countour | — |
| 3 | Middle French | contoir | Alternative spelling of comptoir |
| 4 | Middle French | compter | to recount; to tell |
| 5 | Old French | compter | — |
| 6 | Latin | computāre | — |
| 7 | Latin | computō | — |
| 8 | Latin | com- | allomorph of con- |
| 9 | Latin | con- | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing... |
| 10 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 11 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 15 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 16 | German | kitt | — |
| 17 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 18 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 19 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 20 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 21 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |