Where does “drilling” come from?
Drill derives from Middle Dutch drillen, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ter- meaning to turn or bore, related to Latin tres and English three through shared root structure.
drilling (English): present participle of drill; Act of drilling; A...
Definitions
- present participle of drill; Act of drilling; A...
Ancestry of “drilling”, step by step
drilling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drill | To create by removing material with a drill; To... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | drillen | bore, move in a circle |
| 3 | Old Dutch | thrillen | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þriljaną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ter- | tender, weak; young creature |
| 6 | Italian | termine | end, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word |
| 7 | Latin | terminus | a boundary, limit, end |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | termenos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | térmn̥ | boundary, end |
via German Drilling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Drilling | A triplet; three of a kind |