Where does “howcatchem” come from?
howcatchem (English) comes from English catch, from Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, from Vulgar Latin coacticare, from Latin coactō, from Latin coactus, from Latin cōgō, from Latin cōn- — resin.
howcatchem (English): A mystery novel or drama which begins by showing or describing the commission of the crime, generally revealing the perpetrator's identity to the audience, then shows or describes how the detective proves the perpetrator's guilt
Definitions
- A mystery novel or drama which begins by showing or describing the commission of the crime, generally revealing the perpetrator's identity to the audience, then shows or describes how the detective proves the perpetrator's guilt
Ancestry of “howcatchem”, step by step
howcatchem traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English catch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | catch | The act of seizing or capturing; The act of... |
| 2 | Middle English | cacchen | to catch |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | cachier | to hide; Alternative form of chacier |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | coacticare | present active infinitive of *coacticō |
| 5 | Latin | coactō | to compel, constrain, force |
| 6 | Latin | coactus | forced, compelled, having been forced; urged,... |
| 7 | Latin | cōgō | to collect, assemble, gather together |
| 8 | Latin | cōn- | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects |
| 9 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 10 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 14 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 15 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 16 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 17 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 18 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
via English ’em
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ’em | (now only in unstressed position) |
| 2 | English | hem | Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a... |
| 3 | Middle English | hem | Third-person plural accusative pronoun: them;... |
| 4 | Old English | hem | hem, border |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hammjan | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hamjaną | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kem- | to press together; to hinder, to hamper; to... |