Where does “lockstep” come from?
I notice there's an issue with the etymology chain provided: it shows "Old English loc" and "Old English steppan" as separate entries, but then lists "Proto-Indo-European lewg-" three times without clear progression or connection between them. The chain appears incomplete or corrupted. "Loc" doesn't clearly connect to "steppan," and neither obviously derives from "lewg-" (which typically relates to bending/breaking, not stepping or locking). Could you verify the chain? A proper etymology for "lockstep" would need: - How "lock" (Old English or earlier) connects to its root - How "step" (from steppan) connects to its root - Clear intermediate languages bridging Old English to Proto-Indo-European Without a coherent chain, I cannot write an accurate sentence that "states only what the chain supports."
lockstep (English): A step whereby the toe of one man is brought very...
Definitions
- A step whereby the toe of one man is brought very...
Ancestry of “lockstep”, step by step
lockstep traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | step | An advance or movement made from one foot to the... |
| 2 | English | stepchild | The child of one's spouse but not one's own; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | stepchild | stepchild child of a spouse |
| 4 | Old English | stēopċild | stepchild |
| 5 | Old English | ċild | child, youth; fetus; female baby; child |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kelþaz | fetus; newborn; infant; child |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵelt- | womb |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |