Where does “dovetail” come from?
Dovetail comes from English tail and English drive, from Middle English driven, from Old English drīfan, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European doḱ-, deḱ-, and dʰer-.
dovetail (English): a type of joint where adjoining boards are...
Definitions
- a type of joint where adjoining boards are...
Ancestry of “dovetail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | dove | A pigeon, especially one smaller in size; a bird ... |
| 2 | Middle English | douve | A dove, pigeon, or similar bird; An affectionate... |
| 3 | Old English | dūfe | dove, pigeon |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | dūbǭ | dove, pigeon |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
Words derived from “dovetail”