Where does “hammertoe” come from?
hammertoe (English) comes from English hammer, from Middle English hamer, from Old English hamor, from Proto-West Germanic *hamar, from Proto-Germanic hamaraz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱmoros, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éḱmō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ- — sharp.
hammertoe (English): A medical condition where a toe is permanently...
Definitions
- A medical condition where a toe is permanently...
Ancestry of “hammertoe”, step by step
hammertoe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hammer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hammer | A tool with a heavy head and a handle used for... |
| 2 | Middle English | hamer | A hammer; A fierce individual; one with strong... |
| 3 | Old English | hamor | hammer |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hamar | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hamaraz | hammer |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱmoros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éḱmō | stone |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |
via English toe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | toe | Each of the five digits on the end of the foot;... |
| 2 | Middle English | to | toe; to; too |
| 3 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |