Where does “eye-watering” come from?
eye-watering (English) comes from English watering, from English water, from Middle English water, from Old English wæter, from Proto-West Germanic watar, from Proto-Germanic watōr, from Proto-Indo-European wódr̥, from Proto-Indo-European wed- — to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...
eye-watering (English): Having an odour, vapours or smoke which causes...
Definitions
- Having an odour, vapours or smoke which causes...
Ancestry of “eye-watering”, step by step
eye-watering traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English watering
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | watering | An act of watering, i.e. pouring water on... |
| 2 | English | water | A substance found at room temperature and... |
| 3 | Middle English | water | water; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,... |
| 4 | Old English | wæter | water |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | watar | water |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | watōr | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wódr̥ | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |
via English Eye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Eye | A place name |
| 2 | English | -some | Characterized by some specific condition or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -som | some; having a specific quality |
| 4 | Old English | sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |