Where does “moonraking” come from?

moonraking (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.

moonraking (English): The smuggling of alcohol

Definitions

  1. The smuggling of alcohol

Ancestry of “moonraking”, step by step

moonraking 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 raking

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishrakingpresent participle of rake; Swiftly moving;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂sEvery word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́