Where does “firmoss” come from?
firmoss (English) comes from English fir, from Middle English firre, from Old English fyrh, from Proto-Germanic furhu, from Proto-Germanic furhō, from Proto-Indo-European pérkus, from Proto-Indo-European perkʷ- — oak.
firmoss (English): Any of a group of lycophyte plants of the genus...
Definitions
- Any of a group of lycophyte plants of the genus...
Ancestry of “firmoss”, step by step
firmoss traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fir
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fir | A conifer of the genus "Abies"; Any pinaceous... |
| 2 | Middle English | firre | fir (Abies spp.) |
| 3 | Old English | fyrh | fir, pine |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furhu | fir; pine |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | furhō | fir; pine; forest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pérkus | oak |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | perkʷ- | oak |
via English moss
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | moss | Any of various small, green, seedless plants... |
| 2 | Middle English | mos | mush, pulp, porridge |
| 3 | Old English | mos | moss; food, nourishment, victuals |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *mōs | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mōsą | wet food, mush, porridge; food, victuals |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂d- | to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,... |