Where does “even-toed” come from?
even-toed (English) comes from English toe, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.
even-toed (English): Having an even number of toes, as in the artiodactyls
Definitions
- Having an even number of toes, as in the artiodactyls
Ancestry of “even-toed”, step by step
even-toed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English toe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | toe | Each of the five digits on the end of the foot;... |
| 2 | Middle English | to | toe; to; too |
| 3 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |