Where does “gravelweed” come from?
gravelweed (English) comes from English gravel, from Middle English gravel, from Old French gravele, from Old French ele, from Latin āla, from Latin axla, from Latin axis, from Proto-Italic aksis — to drive.
gravelweed (English): An American plant of species Verbesina helianthoides
Definitions
- An American plant of species Verbesina helianthoides
Ancestry of “gravelweed”, step by step
gravelweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gravel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gravel | Small fragments of rock, used for laying on the... |
| 2 | Middle English | gravel | — |
| 3 | Old French | gravele | gravel; calculus |
| 4 | Old French | ele | she; wing |
| 5 | Latin | āla | a wing appendage of an animal's body that enables it to fly |
| 6 | Latin | axla | — |
| 7 | Latin | axis | An axletree of wagon, car, chariot; The North... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | aksis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱs- | axis, axle |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |