Where does “leatherneck” come from?

leatherneck (English) comes from English leather, from English stocking, from English -ing, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną — smoke; mist, haze.

leatherneck (English): A soldier; Specifically, a marine

Definitions

  1. A soldier; Specifically, a marine

Ancestry of “leatherneck”, step by step

leatherneck traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English leather

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishleatherA tough material produced from the skin of...
2EnglishstockingA soft garment, usually knit or woven, worn on...
3English-ingUsed to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,...
4Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
5Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
6Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
7Proto-West Germanictūnfence
8Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
9Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
10Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
11Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English neck

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishneckThe part of the body connecting the head and the...
2Middle Englishnekkeneck
3Old Englishhneccaback of the neck; back of the head; neck
4Proto-West Germanic*hnakkōnape
5Proto-Germanichnakkôthe back of the neck; nape
6Proto-Indo-Europeanknog-back of the head, nape, neck
7Proto-Indo-Europeanken-to arise, begin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnomEvery word from English -ing