Where does “earwigger” come from?
earwigger (English) comes from English earwig, from Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from Old English ēare, from Proto-West Germanic auʀā, from Proto-Germanic ausô, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ṓws, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew- — to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be...
earwigger (English): An eavesdropper
Definitions
- An eavesdropper
Ancestry of “earwigger”, step by step
earwigger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English earwig
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | earwig | Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera... |
| 2 | Middle English | erwigge | earwig |
| 3 | Old English | ēarwicga | an earwig or worm |
| 4 | Old English | ēare | ear |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | auʀā | ear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ausô | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ṓws | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew- | to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be... |
via English ER
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ER | The statistic "Earned Run"; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Turkish | er | early; brave; man, male |
| 3 | Ottoman Turkish | ایر | saddle, a seat for a rider placed on the back of a horse or other animal |
| 4 | Old Anatolian Turkish | ایر | early, at a time in advance of the usual or expected event |
| 5 | Proto-Turkic | ēder | saddle |