Where does “deerstalker” come from?
deerstalker (English) comes from English deer, from Middle English der, from Old English dēor, from Proto-West Germanic deuʀ, from Proto-Germanic deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewsóm, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéws, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwes- — to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature.
deerstalker (English): One who takes part in deer stalking; Alternative...
Definitions
- One who takes part in deer stalking; Alternative...
Ancestry of “deerstalker”, step by step
deerstalker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English deer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | deer | a ruminant mammal with antlers and hooves of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | der | A wild animal especially a mammal or quadruped |
| 3 | Old English | dēor | animal, beast |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | deuʀ | animal, beast |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | deuzą | animal, beast |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewsóm | living thing |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéws | breath |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwes- | to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature |
via English stalker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stalker | A person who engages in stalking, i.e. quietly... |
| 2 | Middle English | stalkere | — |
| 3 | Irish | -aire | -er, -or |
| 4 | Old Irish | -aire | Agentive affix, similar to English -er, -or |
| 5 | Old French | -aire | — |
| 6 | Latin | -ārius | er |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals) |