Where does “oilcan” come from?
oilcan (English) comes from English oil, from Middle English oyle, from Old French oile, from Latin oleum, from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον, from Ancient Greek ἐλαία, from Proto-Hellenic elaíwā, from Proto-Indo-European loiwom.
oilcan (English): A container with a long spout, for holding oil...
Definitions
- A container with a long spout, for holding oil...
Ancestry of “oilcan”, step by step
oilcan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English oil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | oil | Liquid fat; Petroleum-based liquid used as fuel... |
| 2 | Middle English | oyle | The oil pressed from olives; olive oil; Oil as... |
| 3 | Old French | oile | oil |
| 4 | Latin | oleum | olive oil; the palaestra |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἔλαιον | olive oil, commonly used as an anointing oil; any... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἐλαία | olive tree; olive; naevus |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | elaíwā | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | loiwom | — |
via English can
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | can | To know how to; to be able to; May; to be... |
| 2 | Spanish | can | dog, hound |
| 3 | Latin | Canis | a dog, a hound animal |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | δρόμος | race, running; racetrack; course, path |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ός | Forms agentive or patientive adjectives and nouns from the o-grade of a verbal root |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *-os | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ós | Creates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting... |