Where does “featherweight” come from?

featherweight (English) comes from English feather, from German feder, from Middle High German vëdere, from Old High German fedara, from Proto-West Germanic feþru, from Proto-Germanic feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.

featherweight (English): A weight class in many combat sports; e.g. in...

Definitions

  1. A weight class in many combat sports; e.g. in...

Ancestry of “featherweight”, step by step

featherweight traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English feather

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfeatherA branching, hair-like structure that grows on...
2Germanfederfeather
3Middle High Germanvëderefeather
4Old High Germanfedarafeather
5Proto-West Germanicfeþrufeather
6Proto-Germanicfeþrōfeather
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpéth₂r̥wing; feather
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly

via English weight

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweightThe force on an object due to the gravitational...
2Middle Englishweight
3Old Englishwihtcreature, person, thing, being; weight
4LatinVectisIsle of Wight
5Proto-Celticwextātime, course, turn
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

Words derived from “featherweight

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂-