Where does “forelock” come from?
Forelock comes from Middle English forelock, from Old English forelocc, combining the prefix fore- with locc, and deriving ultimately from Proto-Germanic furai- and Proto-Indo-European per-, meaning "forward" or "through."
forelock (English): The part of a person's hairstyle which covers the...
Definitions
- The part of a person's hairstyle which covers the...
Ancestry of “forelock”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | forelock | — |
| 2 | Old English | forelocc | a forelock; lock of hair that covers the forehead |
| 3 | Old English | locc | lock |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *lukk | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lukkaz | lock; curl |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lugnó- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |