Where does “fistfight” come from?
fistfight (English) comes from English fist, from Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst, from Proto-West Germanic fūsti, from Proto-Germanic funstiz, from Proto-Indo-European pnsti-, from Proto-Indo-European pnksti-, from Proto-Indo-European pénkʷe — five.
fistfight (English): A fight using bare fists; To fight using bare...
Definitions
- A fight using bare fists; To fight using bare...
Ancestry of “fistfight”, step by step
fistfight traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fist
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fist | A hand with the fingers clenched or curled... |
| 2 | Middle English | fist | fist |
| 3 | Old English | fȳst | fist |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fūsti | fist |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | funstiz | fist |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pnsti- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pnksti- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pénkʷe | five |
via English fight
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fight | To contend in physical conflict, either singly or... |
| 2 | Middle English | fighten | Simple past faght and past participle foghten... |
| 3 | Old English | feohtan | to fight |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fehtan | to fight |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fehtaną | to comb, detangle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peḱ- | to pluck; livestock; wealth |