Where does “leapfrog” come from?

leapfrog (English) comes from English leap, from English -y, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.

leapfrog (English): A game, often played by children, in which a...

Definitions

  1. A game, often played by children, in which a...

Ancestry of “leapfrog”, step by step

leapfrog traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English leap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishleapTo jump; To pass over by a leap or jump; To...
2English-yAdded to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives...
3Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
4Old English-iġ-y, -ic
5Proto-West Germanic-gForms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a...
6Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
7Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic

via English Frog

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFrogAlternative form of frog
2Portuguesefrocoflock
3Latinfloccustuft, wisp of wool
4Frankishflokkodown, wool, flock
5Proto-Germanic*flukkô—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplewk-to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “leapfrog”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos →Every word from English -y →Every word from Old English -iġ →