Where does “muttongrass” come from?
muttongrass (English) comes from English mutton, from Middle English motoun, from Old French mouton, from Vulgar Latin molto, from Gaulish multon-, from Proto-Celtic moltos, from Proto-Indo-European (h₂)moldus, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
muttongrass (English): Poa fendleriana, a grass native to western North...
Definitions
- Poa fendleriana, a grass native to western North...
Ancestry of “muttongrass”, step by step
muttongrass traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mutton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mutton | The flesh of sheep used as food; The flesh of... |
| 2 | Middle English | motoun | The meat of sheep or a piece of it; mutton; A... |
| 3 | Old French | mouton | sheep; mutton |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | molto | wether |
| 5 | Gaulish | multon- | sheep |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | moltos | ram, wether |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (h₂)moldus | soft, weak |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
via English grass
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grass | Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by... |
| 2 | Middle English | gras | A grass; Any plant; especially a herbaceous one;... |
| 3 | Old English | græs | grass |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gras | grass |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grasą | grass |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰreh₁- | to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow |