Where does “horsefright” come from?
horsefright (English) comes from English fright, from Middle English fright, from Old English fryhtu, from Old English fyrhtu, from Proto-West Germanic furhtī, from Proto-Germanic furhtį̄, from Proto-Indo-European perǵ-.
horsefright (English): Any member of species of genus Acrotome, principally of southern Africa, especially Acrotome inflata
Definitions
- Any member of species of genus Acrotome, principally of southern Africa, especially Acrotome inflata
Ancestry of “horsefright”, step by step
horsefright traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fright
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fright | A state of terror excited by the sudden... |
| 2 | Middle English | fright | Alternative form of frith; A fright or scare |
| 3 | Old English | fryhtu | Alternative form of fyrhtu: fright |
| 4 | Old English | fyrhtu | fright |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | furhtī | fright, fear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | furhtį̄ | fear, fright |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | perǵ- | — |