Where does “cow-eyed” come from?
cow-eyed (English) comes from English Eye, from English -some, from Middle English -som, from Old English sum, from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic sumaz, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
cow-eyed (English): Having large, full, wide eyes, like those of cows
Definitions
- Having large, full, wide eyes, like those of cows
Ancestry of “cow-eyed”, step by step
cow-eyed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Eye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Eye | A place name |
| 2 | English | -some | Characterized by some specific condition or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -som | some; having a specific quality |
| 4 | Old English | sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |