Where does “driftlet” come from?
driftlet (English) comes from English drift, from Middle English drift, from Old English drift, from Proto-Germanic driftiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
driftlet (English): A little drift, as of snow
Definitions
- A little drift, as of snow
Ancestry of “driftlet”, step by step
driftlet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drift
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drift | Movement; that which moves or is moved; The act... |
| 2 | Middle English | drift | — |
| 3 | Old English | drift | an act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | driftiz | driving |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via English let
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | let | To allow to, not to prevent; To leave; To allow... |
| 2 | Middle English | leten | to let |
| 3 | Old English | lǣtan | to let; leave; to let go, leave; to allow, let... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lātan | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |