Where does “paperknife” come from?
paperknife (English) comes from English paper, from Middle English paper, from Old French papier, from Old Catalan paper, from Latin papȳrus, from French -ine, from French -é, from Middle French -é.
paperknife (English): A knife for cutting paper or opening envelopes
Definitions
- A knife for cutting paper or opening envelopes
Ancestry of “paperknife”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | paper | A sheet material used for writing on or printing... |
| 2 | Middle English | paper | paper; A text, message or note; something that is... |
| 3 | Old French | papier | to murmur |
| 4 | Old Catalan | paper | — |
| 5 | Latin | papȳrus | — |
| 6 | French | -ine | feminine singular of -in; female equivalent of... |
| 7 | French | -é | past participle root verb suffix of regular -er... |
| 8 | Middle French | -é | — |
| 9 | Old French | -é | used to form past participles of regular -er... |
| 10 | Latin | -a | suffixed to the roots of verbs, forms agent... |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | -ā | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂ | — |