Where does “knee-jerkish” come from?
knee-jerkish (English) comes from English knee-jerk, 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-jerkish (English): Exhibiting or characteristic of a rash or...
Definitions
- Exhibiting or characteristic of a rash or...
Ancestry of “knee-jerkish”, step by step
knee-jerkish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English knee-jerk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knee-jerk | Unthinking, not carefully considered, automatic,... |
| 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 |
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |