Where does “drystone” come from?

drystone (English) comes from English dry, from Middle English drye, from Old English drȳġe, from Proto-West Germanic *drūgi, from Proto-Germanic drūgiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰerǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.

drystone (English): A stalactite or stalagmite; Alternative spelling...

Definitions

  1. A stalactite or stalagmite; Alternative spelling...

Ancestry of “drystone”, step by step

drystone traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English dry

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdryFree from or lacking moisture; Unable to produce...
2Middle EnglishdryeDry; lacking wetness, humidity, or water; Not...
3Old Englishdrȳġedry; dry; parched, withered
4Proto-West Germanic*drūgidry
5Proto-Germanicdrūgizhard, solid; dry
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerǵʰ-to strengthen; to strengthen; become hard; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

via English Stone

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishStonefor someone who lived near a stone worked with stone, from
2Middle EnglishstonAlternative form of stone
3Old Englishstānstone, rock
4Old NorseVeggrname of a dwarf
5Proto-Germanicwajjuzwall
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwh̥₁yús
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₁y-to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-