Where does “footbreadth” come from?
footbreadth (English) comes from English breadth, from Middle English bredthe, from Middle English brede, from Old English bred, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz — adjectival suffix.
footbreadth (English): The breadth of a foot; used as a measure
Definitions
- The breadth of a foot; used as a measure
Ancestry of “footbreadth”, step by step
footbreadth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English breadth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breadth | The extent or measure of how broad or wide... |
| 2 | Middle English | bredthe | breadth |
| 3 | Middle English | brede | Alternative form of breiden; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | bred | surface; plank, board; table, tablet |
| 5 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
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 |