Where does “cowness” come from?
cowness (English) comes from English cow, from Middle English cow, from Old English cū, from Proto-West Germanic *kō, from Proto-Germanic *kōz — cow.
cowness (English): The quality of being a cow
Definitions
- The quality of being a cow
Ancestry of “cowness”, step by step
cowness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cow | An adult female of the species "Bos taurus",... |
| 2 | Middle English | cow | Alternative form of cou |
| 3 | Old English | cū | cow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *kō | cow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *kōz | cow |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |