Where does “floodgate” come from?
floodgate (English) comes from Middle English flodegate, from Middle English gate, from Old English ġeat, from Old French gaut, from Proto-West Germanic walþu, from Proto-Germanic walþuz, from Proto-Indo-European wel- — to see.
floodgate (English): An adjustable gate or valve used to control the...
Definitions
- An adjustable gate or valve used to control the...
Ancestry of “floodgate”, step by step
floodgate traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English flodegate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flodegate | floodgate |
| 2 | Middle English | gate | An entryway or entrance to a settlement or... |
| 3 | Old English | ġeat | gate; a gate, door |
| 4 | Old French | gaut | forest, woods, woodland |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | walþu | forest |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | walþuz | forest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wel- | to see |
via Middle English flodgate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flodgate | Alternative form of flodegate |
via Middle English flodeyate
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flodeyate | Alternative form of flodegate |