Where does “footdragger” come from?

footdragger (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.

footdragger (English): One who deliberately delays obligatory action

Definitions

  1. One who deliberately delays obligatory action

Ancestry of “footdragger”, step by step

footdragger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English foot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfootA biological structure found in many animals that...
2Middle Englishfotfoot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of...
3Old Englishfōtfoot
4Proto-West Germanicfōtfoot
5Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via English dragger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdraggerSomething that drags; A trawler; One who takes...
2EnglishdragResistance of a fluid to something moving through...
3Yiddishטראָגןcarry; wear
4Middle High Germantragento bear, to carry
5Old High Germantraganto bear; to bear fruit
6Proto-Germanicdragan
7Proto-Germanicdraganąto draw, to pull, to carry
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreǵ-pull, draw, drag; to glide, swoop; to draw, glide
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pódsEvery word from Proto-Indo-European pṓds
footdragger — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer