Where does “footing” come from?
Footing derives from Middle English footing, formed from Old English fōt (foot) and the suffix -ing, with fōt tracing to Proto-Indo-European pṓds meaning foot or base.
footing (English): A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest...
Definitions
- A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest...
Ancestry of “footing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fotyng | footing, foothold; The creation of a foundation... |
| 2 | Middle English | -ing | Forms gerunds from verbs, typically referring to... |
| 3 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 4 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |