Where does “needlework” come from?
Needlework comes from Middle English -work and Old English -weorc, from Proto-Germanic nēþlō meaning needle, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁- meaning to spin or twist.
needlework (English): the art or process of working with a needle...
Definitions
- the art or process of working with a needle...
Ancestry of “needlework”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | needle | A fine, sharp implement usually for piercing such... |
| 2 | Middle English | nedle | — |
| 3 | Old English | nǣdl | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *nāþlu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nēþlō | needle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₁- | to spin , to sew |