Where does “headsail” come from?

headsail (English) comes from English head, from English -y, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.

headsail (English): Any sail set forward of the foremost mast

Definitions

  1. Any sail set forward of the foremost mast

Ancestry of “headsail”, step by step

headsail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English head

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishheadThe part of the body of an animal or human which...
2English-yAdded to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives...
3Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
4Old English-iġ-y, -ic
5Proto-West Germanic-gForms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a...
6Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
7Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic

via English sail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsailA piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged...
2Middle EnglishsaileAlternative form of assailen
3Proto-Germanicsegląsheet; sail
4Proto-Germanicsiglą
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos