Where does “haywire” come from?
Haywire is a compound of English hay and English wire, ultimately tracing through Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to twist or bind.
haywire (English): Wire used to bind bales of hay; Roughly-made,...
Definitions
- Wire used to bind bales of hay; Roughly-made,...
Ancestry of “haywire”, step by step
haywire traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wire | Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now... |
| 2 | Middle English | wir | — |
| 3 | Old English | wīr | wire, metal thread, wire-ornament |
| 4 | English | myrtle | An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus... |
| 5 | Old French | myrte | — |
| 6 | Latin | myrtus | myrtle |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μύρτος | myrtle; twig or spray of myrtle |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | μυρίκη | tamarisk |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ίκη | — |