Where does “foot-dragging” come from?
foot-dragging (English) comes from English foot, from Middle English fot, from Old English fōt, from Proto-West Germanic fōt, from Proto-Germanic fōts, from Proto-Indo-European pṓds, from Proto-Indo-European póds, from Proto-Indo-European ped- — to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall.
foot-dragging (English): The deliberate delaying of obligatory action
Definitions
- The deliberate delaying of obligatory action
Ancestry of “foot-dragging”, step by step
foot-dragging traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English foot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | foot | A biological structure found in many animals that... |
| 2 | Middle English | fot | foot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of... |
| 3 | Old English | fōt | foot |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fōt | foot |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fōts | foot |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pṓds | foot |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | póds | foot |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ped- | to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall |
via English dragging
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dragging | An instance of something being dragged; present... |
| 2 | English | drag | Resistance of a fluid to something moving through... |
| 3 | Yiddish | טראָגן | carry; wear |
| 4 | Middle High German | tragen | to bear, to carry |
| 5 | Old High German | tragan | to bear; to bear fruit |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | dragan | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | draganą | to draw, to pull, to carry |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreǵ- | pull, draw, drag; to glide, swoop; to draw, glide |