Where does “onionlike” come from?

onionlike (English) comes from English like, from Dutch luik, from Middle Dutch luke, from Dutch luiken, from Middle Dutch luken, from Old Dutch lūcan, from Proto-West Germanic lūkan, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną — to break, tear; to break, shatter.

onionlike (English): Resembling an onion or some aspect of one, such...

Definitions

  1. Resembling an onion or some aspect of one, such...

Ancestry of “onionlike”, step by step

onionlike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English like

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlikeTo enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;...
2Dutchluikhatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych
3Middle Dutchluke
4Dutchluikento close, to shut
5Middle Dutchlukento close, to shut; to close, to become closed
6Old Dutchlūcanto close, shut
7Proto-West Germaniclūkanto close, to shut
8Proto-Germaniclūkanąto close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewǵ-to break, tear; to break, shatter

via English onion

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishonionA monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice
2Middle EnglishonyounThe onion plant
3Old Frenchoignononion
4Latinūniōa unity, union
5Latin-iō
6Proto-West Germanic-jōForms agent nouns from verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewǵ-