Where does “moondoggle” come from?

moondoggle (English) comes from English Moon, from Middle English Mone, from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

moondoggle (English): s to transport people to the Moon, regarded as a useless waste of resources

Definitions

  1. s to transport people to the Moon, regarded as a useless waste of resources

Ancestry of “moondoggle”, step by step

moondoggle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Moon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMoonThe Earth's moon; the sole natural satellite of the Earth, represented in astronomy and astrology by ☾
2Middle EnglishMoneA lamentation; a sorrowful moan or expression
3Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
4Sanskritमहादेवthe "great God"
5Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
6Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́
7Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via English boondoggle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboondoggleA braided ring to hold a neckerchief; A waste of...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂sEvery word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́