Where does “fire-breathing” come from?
fire-breathing (English) comes from English fire, from Middle English fier, from Old English fȳr, from Old English feor, from Proto-Germanic ferrai, from Proto-Indo-European per-nóy, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
fire-breathing (English): That shoots fire from the mouth or nostrils;...
Definitions
- That shoots fire from the mouth or nostrils;...
Ancestry of “fire-breathing”, step by step
fire-breathing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fire | A chemical reaction involving the bonding of... |
| 2 | Middle English | fier | Alternative form of figer |
| 3 | Old English | fȳr | fire |
| 4 | Old English | feor | Alternative form of feorr; far |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English breathing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breathing | present participle of breathe; The act of... |
| 2 | English | breathe | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases |
| 3 | Middle English | brethen | to breathe, blow, exhale, odour |
| 4 | Middle English | breth | breath |
| 5 | Old English | brǣþ | odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | brēþiz | vapour; steam; breath; odour, smell |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrē-t- | exhalation from heat; steam |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |