Where does “matchhead” come from?
matchhead (English) comes from English match, from Middle English macche, from Old English ġemæċċa, from Old English ġemaca, from Old English ġe-, from Proto-West Germanic ga-, from Proto-Germanic ga-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
matchhead (English): The head of a match
Definitions
- The head of a match
Ancestry of “matchhead”, step by step
matchhead traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English match
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | match | A competitive sporting event such as a boxing... |
| 2 | Middle English | macche | A bride or mate; a romantic or sexual partner |
| 3 | Old English | ġemæċċa | — |
| 4 | Old English | ġemaca | a mate, an equal, companion, peer; companion,... |
| 5 | Old English | ġe- | used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating completeness or perfection |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | ga- | used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 10 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 11 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 12 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 13 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 14 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
via English head
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | head | The part of the body of an animal or human which... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |