Where does “eyewinker” come from?
eyewinker (English) comes from English winker, from English tiddlywinker, from English tiddlywink, from English tiddly, from English wink, from English periwinkle, from Middle English pinewinkle, from Old English pīnewincle — Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots.
eyewinker (English): An eyelash
Definitions
- An eyelash
Ancestry of “eyewinker”, step by step
eyewinker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English winker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | winker | A screen attached to the bridle of a horse or... |
| 2 | English | tiddlywinker | A player of the game of tiddlywinks |
| 3 | English | tiddlywink | A small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks; An... |
| 4 | English | tiddly | An alcoholic beverage |
| 5 | English | wink | To close one's eyes in sleep; To close one's... |
| 6 | English | periwinkle | Any of several evergreen plants of the genus... |
| 7 | Middle English | pinewinkle | — |
| 8 | Old English | pīnewincle | — |
| 9 | Latin | pina | sea pen |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | πίνη | pen shell; pearl shell, pearl |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | τηρέω | to watch over, take care of, guard; to have an... |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | -έω | Used to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and... |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | -éyeti | Forms causative imperfective verbs from roots;... |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | -yeti | Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots |
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 |