Where does “frost-nail” come from?
frost-nail (English) comes from English nail, from Middle English nail, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.
frost-nail (English): A nail with a sharp head, driven into a horseshoe...
Definitions
- A nail with a sharp head, driven into a horseshoe...
Ancestry of “frost-nail”, step by step
frost-nail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nail | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and... |
| 2 | Middle English | nail | Alternative form of nayl |
| 3 | Old English | næġl | nail |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |
via English Frost
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Frost | A cover of minute ice crystals on objects that are exposed to the air. Frost is formed by the same process as dew, except that the temperature of the frosted object is below freezing |
| 2 | Middle English | frost | Cold, freezing, or frosty weather; weather that... |
| 3 | Old English | frost | produced by metathesis |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | prustós | frost |