Where does “knee-jerkishly” come from?
knee-jerkishly (English) comes from English knee-jerkish, 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- — knee.
knee-jerkishly (English): In a knee-jerkish manner
Definitions
- In a knee-jerkish manner
Ancestry of “knee-jerkishly”, step by step
knee-jerkishly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English knee-jerkish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knee-jerkish | Exhibiting or characteristic of a rash or... |
| 2 | English | knee-jerk | Unthinking, not carefully considered, automatic,... |
| 3 | English | knee | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint... |
| 4 | Middle English | knē | The knee or a similar joint in other animals |
| 5 | Old English | cnēo | generation |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | kneu | knee |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | knewą | knee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵnéwo- | knee |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵónu | knee |