Where does “fine-tooth comb” come from?
fine-tooth comb (English) comes from English comb, from English combination, from Middle English combinacioun, from Old French combination, from Late Latin combinatio, from Latin combino, from Latin com-, from Latin con- — resin, gum; to say, speak.
fine-tooth comb (English): A comb with fine, closely spaced teeth, especially one used for removing head lice and their nits (eggs) from the hair; a nit comb
Definitions
- A comb with fine, closely spaced teeth, especially one used for removing head lice and their nits (eggs) from the hair; a nit comb
Ancestry of “fine-tooth comb”, step by step
fine-tooth comb traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English comb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | comb | A toothed implement for grooming the hair or for... |
| 2 | English | combination | The act of combining, the state of being combined... |
| 3 | Middle English | combinacioun | — |
| 4 | Old French | combination | — |
| 5 | Late Latin | combinatio | A joining, two by two |
| 6 | Latin | combino | I combine, unite |
| 7 | Latin | com- | allomorph of con- |
| 8 | Latin | con- | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing... |
| 9 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 10 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 14 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 15 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 16 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 17 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 18 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 19 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |