Where does “icicle” come from?
Icicle comes from Middle English isykle, from Middle English is, which derives from Proto-Germanic īsą and Proto-Indo-European h₁ésti, meaning "ice."
icicle (English): A drooping, tapering shape of ice
Definitions
- A drooping, tapering shape of ice
Ancestry of “icicle”, step by step
icicle traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English ickle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ickle | An icicle; Little |
| 2 | English | little | Small in size; Insignificant, trivial; Very young |
| 3 | Middle English | litel | little |
| 4 | Old English | lȳtel | little |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | lūtil | bent; tending to stoop; crouching |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lūtilaz | bent; tending to stoop; crouching; little |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |
via English ice
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ice | Water in frozen form; Any frozen volatile... |
| 2 | Middle English | is | ice; That which is short-lived like ice; icy... |
| 3 | Old English | īs | ice |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | īs | ice |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | īsą | ice |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁eyH- | ice, frost |
via Middle English isykle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | isykle | icicle |