Where does “fencepost” come from?
fencepost (English) comes from English fence, from Middle English fence, from Middle English defence, from Old French defens, from Late Latin defensa, from Latin defensus, from Latin dēfendō, from Latin dē- — afterwards, post; by, at.
fencepost (English): A post which helps hold up a fence
Definitions
- A post which helps hold up a fence
Ancestry of “fencepost”, step by step
fencepost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fence
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fence | A thin artificial barrier that separates two... |
| 2 | Middle English | fence | — |
| 3 | Middle English | defence | — |
| 4 | Old French | defens | — |
| 5 | Late Latin | defensa | protection; bounded, defended; defence |
| 6 | Latin | defensus | driven away, having been driven away; defended,... |
| 7 | Latin | dēfendō | to drive away |
| 8 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 9 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 10 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 11 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
via English post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 2 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 3 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 4 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 6 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |