Where does “eyedropper” come from?
eyedropper (English) comes from English dropper, from English drop, from Middle English droppen, from Old English dropian, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną — he, she.
eyedropper (English): A dropper for administering eyedrops
Definitions
- A dropper for administering eyedrops
Ancestry of “eyedropper”, step by step
eyedropper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dropper
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dropper | A utensil for dispensing a single drop of liquid... |
| 2 | English | drop | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to... |
| 3 | Middle English | droppen | To drip; to fall in drops |
| 4 | Old English | dropian | to drop |
| 5 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 6 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
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 |