Where does “nosedive” come from?

nosedive (English) comes from English nose, from Middle English nōse, from Old French nous, from Latin nōs, from Proto-Italic nōs, from Proto-Indo-European wéy, from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ — I.

nosedive (English): A headfirst fall or jump; A rapid fall in price...

Definitions

  1. A headfirst fall or jump; A rapid fall in price...

Ancestry of “nosedive”, step by step

nosedive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English nose

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnoseA protuberance on the face housing the nostrils,...
2Middle Englishnōsenose
3Old FrenchnousAlternative form of nos
4Latinnōswe, us
5Proto-Italicnōswe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwéywe
7Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

via English dive

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdiveTo swim under water; To jump into water...
2Middle Englishdiven—
3Old Englishdūfanto duck, dive, sink, penetrate; to dive
4Proto-West Germanic*dūbanto dive
5Proto-Germanicdūbanąto dive, to sink
Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ →