Where does “deathtrap” come from?
deathtrap (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.
deathtrap (English): an extremely dangerous location, structure or...
Definitions
- an extremely dangerous location, structure or...
Ancestry of “deathtrap”, step by step
deathtrap 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 trap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trap | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body |
| 2 | Middle English | trappe | trap |
| 3 | Old English | træppe | a trap |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | trap- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dreb- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | der- | to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to... |