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
| 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 |