Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “moonshiner” come from?

moonshiner (English) comes from English moonshine, from English moon, from Middle English mone, from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Sanskrit महायान, from Sanskrit यान — to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel.

moonshiner (English): Someone who makes or distributes moonshine

Definitions

  1. Someone who makes or distributes moonshine

Ancestry of “moonshiner”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoonshineThe light of the moon; High-proof alcohol that...
2EnglishmoonAny natural satellite of a planet; A month,...
3Middle EnglishmoneA lamentation; A moan, complaint; The celestial...
4Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
5Sanskritमहादेव—
6Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
7Sanskritमहायान—
8Sanskritयानcarriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,...
9Proto-Indo-AryanyáHnam—
10Proto-Indo-IranianyáHnam—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyéh₂-nom—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanyeh₂-to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yeh₂- →