Where does “linseed” come from?
Linseed derives from Middle English lynseed, from Old English līnsǣd, a compound of Old English līn meaning flax.
linseed (English): The seed of the flax plant, which yields linseed...
Definitions
- The seed of the flax plant, which yields linseed...
Ancestry of “linseed”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | linseed | — |
| 2 | Old English | līnsǣd | seed of flax |
| 3 | Old English | līn | flax, linen, cloth |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |
Words derived from “linseed”