Where does “earwire” come from?
earwire (English) comes from English wire, from Middle English wir, from Old English wīr, from English myrtle, from Old French myrte, from Latin myrtus, from Ancient Greek μύρτος, from Ancient Greek μυρίκη.
earwire (English): A bow of wire, looped to fasten an earring to a pierced ear
Definitions
- A bow of wire, looped to fasten an earring to a pierced ear
Ancestry of “earwire”, step by step
earwire traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wire | Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now... |
| 2 | Middle English | wir | — |
| 3 | Old English | wīr | wire, metal thread, wire-ornament |
| 4 | English | myrtle | An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus... |
| 5 | Old French | myrte | — |
| 6 | Latin | myrtus | myrtle |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μύρτος | myrtle; twig or spray of myrtle |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | μυρίκη | tamarisk |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ίκη | — |
via English ear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ear | The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna,... |
| 2 | Middle English | ēre | The ear organ that receives sound |
| 3 | Old English | ēare | ear |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | auʀā | ear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ausô | ear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ṓws | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew- | to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be... |