Where does “forty-rod” come from?
forty-rod (English) comes from English rod, from English Rodney, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.
forty-rod (English): cheap, strong whiskey or similar alcoholic beverage
Definitions
- cheap, strong whiskey or similar alcoholic beverage
Ancestry of “forty-rod”, step by step
forty-rod traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rod
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rod | A straight, round stick, shaft, bar, cane, or... |
| 2 | English | Rodney | A small Newfoundland wooden boat typically used by one person |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |
via English forty
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | forty | The cardinal number occurring after thirty-nine... |
| 2 | Middle English | fourty | forty |
| 3 | Old English | fēowertiġ | forty |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *feuwar tigiwi | forty |