Where does “footsoldier” come from?
footsoldier (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.
Ancestry of “footsoldier”, step by step
footsoldier 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 soldier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | soldier | A member of an army, of any rank; A private in... |
| 2 | Middle English | soudeour | A soldier; a member of an organised army |
| 3 | Old French | soudier | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | soldarius | soldier; mercenary |
| 5 | Late Latin | solidus | a gold coin of the Roman Empire; type of coin;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | soliðos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂-i-dʰ-o-s | entire |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂- | whole |