Where does “narrowboat” come from?
narrowboat (English) comes from English boat, from Middle English bot, from Old English bāt, from Proto-West Germanic bait, from Proto-Germanic baitaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
narrowboat (English): A barge used on the narrow canals of England
Definitions
- A barge used on the narrow canals of England
Ancestry of “narrowboat”, step by step
narrowboat traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English boat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | boat | A craft used for transportation of goods,... |
| 2 | Middle English | bot | A seafaring vessel or watercraft; a device for... |
| 3 | Old English | bāt | that which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bait | boat, ship |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | baitaz | boat, ship |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
via English narrow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | narrow | Having a small width; not wide; having opposite... |
| 2 | Middle English | narow | Alternative form of narwe |
| 3 | Old English | nearu | narrow; difficulty |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | narwaz | constricted; narrow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ner- | to wrap; wind; lace; shrink; shrivel; turn, bend,... |