Where does “kill-time” come from?

kill-time (English) comes from English kill, from Middle English killen, from Old English cwellan, from Proto-West Germanic kwalljan, from Proto-Germanic kwaljaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé- — he, she.

kill-time (English): Something which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably

Definitions

  1. Something which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably

Ancestry of “kill-time”, step by step

kill-time traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English kill

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishkillTo put to death; to extinguish the life of; To...
2Middle Englishkillen
3Old Englishcwellanto kill; to slay
4Proto-West Germanickwalljanto make suffer, to hurt
5Proto-Germanickwaljanąto make suffer, to hurt
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she

via English Time

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTimeThe inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events
2Middle Englishtymethyme; time; A specific duration or period of...
3Old Frenchthym
4Latinthymumthyme; accusative singular of thymus
5Ancient Greekθύμονthyme
6Ancient GreekθύωI offer in sacrifice, slay, burn, immolate; I...
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from Proto-Germanic -janąEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti