Where does “feather-dust” come from?
feather-dust (English) comes from English feather duster, from English duster, from English dust, from German dust, from Middle Low German dust, from Old French joste, from Latin juxta, from Latin iuxta — to join, to yoke, to tie together.
feather-dust (English): To clean with a feather duster
Definitions
- To clean with a feather duster
Ancestry of “feather-dust”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | feather duster | An implement, traditionally consisting of a... |
| 2 | English | duster | An object, now especially a cloth, used for... |
| 3 | English | dust | Fine particles; The act of cleaning by dusting;... |
| 4 | German | dust | — |
| 5 | Middle Low German | dust | — |
| 6 | Old French | joste | joust |
| 7 | Latin | juxta | Alternative form of iū̆xtā; near to, nigh |
| 8 | Latin | iuxta | nearly; near, close to; just as |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | jougestād | — |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | jougestos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | jougos | yoked animals, team |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | yéwgos | team, pair of yoked animals |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | yewg- | to join, to yoke, to tie together |