Where does “deathblow” come from?
deathblow (English) comes from English death, from Middle English deth, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī — to see.
deathblow (English): A strike or blow that leads to death, especially...
Definitions
- A strike or blow that leads to death, especially...
Ancestry of “deathblow”, step by step
deathblow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English death
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | death | The cessation of life and all associated... |
| 2 | Middle English | deth | Alternative form of deeth |
| 3 | Old English | dēaþ | death |
| 4 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 5 | German | witz | joke |
| 6 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 7 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via English blow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | blow | To produce an air current; To propel by an air... |
| 2 | Middle English | blowe | Alternative form of blowen |
| 3 | Old English | blōwan | to bloom, blossom |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | blōan | to bloom, to flower |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | blōaną | to bloom, to flower |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |