Where does “night-rail” come from?

night-rail (English) comes from English rail, from Middle English rail, from Old English regol, from Latin rēgula, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

night-rail (English): A loose robe worn as a nightgown

Definitions

  1. A loose robe worn as a nightgown

Ancestry of “night-rail”, step by step

night-rail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrailA horizontal bar extending between supports and...
2Middle Englishrail
3Old Englishregola rule; a ruler
4Latinrēgularule, bar
5Latin-ularegō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;...
6Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
7Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
8Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

via English night

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnightThe period between sunset and sunrise, when a...
2Middle EnglishnyghtAlternative form of nighte; Alternative form of...
3Middle Englishnightenight
4Old EnglishnyhtAlternative form of niht
5Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
6Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
7Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
8Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗrEvery word from Latin -ulaEvery word from Latin rēgula