Where does “dotfile” come from?

dotfile (English) comes from English filé, from French filé, from French filer, from Latin fīlāre, from Latin fīlum, from Proto-Italic fī(s)lom, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰiH-(s-)lo-.

dotfile (English): A file or directory whose name begins with a dot...

Definitions

  1. A file or directory whose name begins with a dot...

Ancestry of “dotfile”, step by step

dotfile traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English filé

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfiléA spicy herb made from the dried and ground...
2Frenchfilépast participle of filer; simple or twisted...
3Frenchfilerto spin; to thread through; to spin a thread
4Latinfīlāre
5Latinfīlumthread, string, filament, fiber
6Proto-Italicfī(s)lom
7Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷʰiH-(s-)lo-

via English Dot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDot
2Frenchdotdowry, marriage portion
3Latindōsdowry
4Proto-Italicdōtis
5Proto-Indo-Europeandéh₃tisgiving
6Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰiH-(s-)lo-