Where does “cowquake” come from?
cowquake (English) comes from English cow, from Middle English cow, from Old English cū, from Proto-West Germanic *kō, from Proto-Germanic *kōz — cow.
cowquake (English): quaking grass; Briza media
Definitions
- quaking grass; Briza media
Ancestry of “cowquake”, step by step
cowquake 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 Quake
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Quake | The 99th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an |
| 2 | Middle English | quaken | To tremble with fear or anger; To tremble from... |
| 3 | Old English | cwacian | to quake |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kwakōną | to shake, quiver, tremble; to croak |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷog- | to shake, swing |