Where does “dactyl” come from?
dactyl (English) comes from Latin dactylus, from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος, from Hebrew דקל, from German Dackel, from German Dachshund, from German Dachs, from Old High German dahs, from Proto-West Germanic þahs — to sire, beget.
dactyl (English): A metrical foot of three syllables (— ⏑ ⏑), one long followed by two short, or one accented followed by two unaccented
Definitions
- A metrical foot of three syllables (— ⏑ ⏑), one long followed by two short, or one accented followed by two unaccented
Ancestry of “dactyl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | dactylus | a sort of muscle; a kind of grape; a sort of... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | δάκτυλος | finger; measure of length, the breadth of a... |
| 3 | Hebrew | דקל | palm tree; date; dachshund |
| 4 | German | Dackel | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 5 | German | Dachshund | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 6 | German | Dachs | badger; genitive singular of Dach |
| 7 | Old High German | dahs | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | þahs | badger |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | þahsuz | badger |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tótḱus | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tetḱ- | to create, produce; to cut, hew |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |