Where does “little toenail” come from?
little toenail (English) comes from English toenail, from English toe, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos — to stretch, to extend.
little toenail (English): The nail of the little toe
Definitions
- The nail of the little toe
Ancestry of “little toenail”, step by step
little toenail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English toenail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | toenail | The thin, horny, transparent plate covering the... |
| 2 | English | toe | Each of the five digits on the end of the foot;... |
| 3 | Middle English | to | toe; to; too |
| 4 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 5 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
via English little toe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | little toe | The smallest toe of the human foot |
| 2 | Middle English | litel to | The little toe or pinky toe smallest toe of the foot |