Where does “knee-cap” come from?
knee-cap (English) comes from English kneecap, from English knee, from Middle English knē, from Old English cnēo, from Proto-West Germanic kneu, from Proto-Germanic knewą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵnéwo-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵónu — knee.
knee-cap (English): Alternative spelling of kneecap
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of kneecap
Ancestry of “knee-cap”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | kneecap | The flat, roundish bone in the knee; A metal... |
| 2 | English | knee | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint... |
| 3 | Middle English | knē | The knee or a similar joint in other animals |
| 4 | Old English | cnēo | generation |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | kneu | knee |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | knewą | knee |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵnéwo- | knee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵónu | knee |