Where does “odd man” come from?
odd man (English) comes from English odd, from Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi, from Old Norse -i, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
odd man (English): In a group having an odd number of people,...
Definitions
- In a group having an odd number of people,...
Ancestry of “odd man”, step by step
odd man traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English odd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | odd | Differing from what is usual, ordinary or... |
| 2 | Middle English | odde | inflection of od: ## weak singular ## strong/weak... |
| 3 | Old Norse | oddi | odd, third or additional number; triangle |
| 4 | Old Norse | -i | th |
| 5 | Latin | -ē | ly; used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via English MAN
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MAN | Initialism of Metropolitan Area Network |
| 2 | English | manual | A handbook; A booklet that instructs on the usage... |
| 3 | Middle English | manuel | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | manuel | manual; done with the hands; handle; manual;... |
| 5 | Old French | manual | — |
| 6 | Latin | manuālis | hand |
| 7 | Latin | manus | hand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | manus | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | man- | human being; man; hand |