Where does “lookalike” come from?

lookalike (English) comes from English Look, from French -er, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti — he, she.

lookalike (English): Someone who physically resembles someone else

Definitions

  1. Someone who physically resembles someone else

Ancestry of “lookalike”, step by step

lookalike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Look

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLookTo try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes
2French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
3English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
4Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
5Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
6Latin-ārefirst conjugation
7Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
11Chichewaiyehe, she

via English alike

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishalikeHaving resemblance or similitude; similar;...
2Middle Englishylichalike, similar (+ dative or to: similar to, like)
3Old Englishġelīclike, similar; like, alike, similar, equal,...
4Proto-West Germanicgalīkalike, similar
5Proto-Germanicgalīkazalike, similar; equal
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie

Words derived from “lookalike

Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from French -er
lookalike — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer