Where does “dropwing” come from?
dropwing (English) comes from English drop, from Middle English droppen, from Old English dropian, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti — he, she.
dropwing (English): Any of various species of libellulid dragonfly of the genus Trithemis, endemic to Africa and Asia, that lower their wings when perched
Definitions
- Any of various species of libellulid dragonfly of the genus Trithemis, endemic to Africa and Asia, that lower their wings when perched
Ancestry of “dropwing”, step by step
dropwing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drop
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drop | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to... |
| 2 | Middle English | droppen | To drip; to fall in drops |
| 3 | Old English | dropian | to drop |
| 4 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 5 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English wing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wing | An appendage of an animal's body that enables it... |
| 2 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 3 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 4 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 5 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |