Where does “minesweeping” come from?
minesweeping (English) comes from English sweeping, from English sweep, from Middle English swepen, from Middle English -els, from Old English -els, from Proto-West Germanic -islī, from Proto-West Germanic -ī, from Proto-Germanic -į̄ — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
minesweeping (English): The detection and safe disposal of mines
Definitions
- The detection and safe disposal of mines
Ancestry of “minesweeping”, step by step
minesweeping traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sweeping
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sweeping | present participle of sweep; An instance of... |
| 2 | English | sweep | To clean by means of a stroking motion of a... |
| 3 | Middle English | swepen | To sweep; to stroke with a broom |
| 4 | Middle English | -els | suffix creating nouns denoting events, instruments, or places from verbs |
| 5 | Old English | -els | suffix creating nouns from verbs |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -islī | Used to form nouns from verbs denoting something... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
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 |