Where does “junk drawer” come from?

junk drawer (English) comes from English drawer, from Middle English drawer, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

junk drawer (English): A drawer designated for the storage of various...

Definitions

  1. A drawer designated for the storage of various...

Ancestry of “junk drawer”, step by step

junk drawer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English drawer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdrawerAn open-topped box that can be slid in and out of...
2Middle Englishdrawertransporter
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she

via English junk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishjunkDiscarded or waste material; rubbish, trash,...
2Portuguesejuncoreed, rush; junk
3Arabicجُنْك
4MalayjongJong (a Javanese-Malay cargo and passenger ship)
5Javanesedjong
6Javaneseꦗꦺꦴꦁumbrella
7Kawijoṅ
8Proto-Mon-Khmer*d₂luuŋboat
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yétiEvery word from Old French -er
junk drawer — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer