Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “linsey-woolsey” come from?

linsey-woolsey (English) comes from English wool, from Middle English wolle, from Old English wull, from Proto-West Germanic wullu, from Proto-Germanic wullō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂, from Proto-Indo-European -nós — Creates verbal adjectives from roots.

linsey-woolsey (English): A fabric made of both linen and wool; Worthless...

Definitions

  1. A fabric made of both linen and wool; Worthless...

Ancestry of “linsey-woolsey”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwoolThe hair of the sheep, llama and some other...
2Middle Englishwollewool , especially when used to make fabric; Shorn...
3Old Englishwullwool
4Proto-West Germanicwulluwool
5Proto-Germanicwullōwool
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂wool
7Proto-Indo-European-nósCreates verbal adjectives from roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -nós →