Where does “frostbite” come from?
Frostbite derives from English frost and bite, where bite comes from Middle English biten, Old English betēon, Proto-Germanic bītaną, and Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, meaning to split or cut.
frostbite (English): An injury suffered as a result of freezing of...
Definitions
- An injury suffered as a result of freezing of...
Ancestry of “frostbite”, step by step
frostbite traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bite
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bite | To cut into something by clamping the teeth; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | biten | to bite |
| 3 | Old English | betēon | to cover, surround, enclose; to cover, surround,... |
| 4 | Old English | tēon | to drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to... |
| 5 | Old English | tēohan | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | teuhan | to pull; to lead |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | teuhaną | to lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |
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 |