Where does “eyeliner” come from?
Eyeliner derives from English eye combined with English liner, which comes from English line, itself from Old French -er and Latin -are, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂egʰ-.
eyeliner (English): Makeup used to outline the eye, generally applied...
Definitions
- Makeup used to outline the eye, generally applied...
Ancestry of “eyeliner”, step by step
eyeliner traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English liner
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | liner | Someone who fits a lining to something; A... |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | 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 |