Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fleshmonger” come from?

fleshmonger (English) comes from English flesh, from Middle English flesh, from Old English flǣsċ, from Proto-West Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁ḱ- — to tear, peel off; to tear, rend.

fleshmonger (English): One who deals in flesh; hence, a pimp, procurer,...

Definitions

  1. One who deals in flesh; hence, a pimp, procurer,...

Ancestry of “fleshmonger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfleshThe soft tissue of the body, especially muscle...
2Middle Englishfleshflesh; A communion wafer; A muscle
3Old Englishflǣsċ—
4Proto-West Germanicflaiskimeat, flesh
5Proto-Germanicflaiskimeat, flesh
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁ḱ-to tear, peel off; to tear, rend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁ḱ- →