Where does “minefield” come from?
Minefield is a compound of English mine, from French mine, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pelh₂-, meaning to excavate or extract, combined with English field.
minefield (English): An area in which land mines have been laid; A...
Definitions
- An area in which land mines have been laid; A...
Ancestry of “minefield”, step by step
minefield traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Mine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mine | Alternative letter-case form of mine "often used... |
| 2 | French | mine | mine; pencil lead; piledriver, scorcher |
| 3 | Breton | min | face of an animal; beak, muzzle |
| 4 | Italian | mina | mine, land mine; lead in pencils; mine which... |
| 5 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 6 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | ore, metal |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |
via English field
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | field | A land area free of woodland, cities, and towns;... |
| 2 | Middle English | feeld | A field; The countryside; empty land that... |
| 3 | Old English | feld | field |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | felþu | field |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | felþuz | field, plain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pelh₂- | to approach |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |