Where does “penknife” come from?
Penknife derives from Middle English penne knyfe, combining Middle English penne from Old English penn, ultimately from Latin penna meaning feather or quill.
penknife (English): Originally a small utility knife for cutting the...
Definitions
- Originally a small utility knife for cutting the...
Ancestry of “penknife”, step by step
penknife traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English pen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pen | An enclosure used to contain domesticated... |
| 2 | English | penetration | The act of penetrating something; Specifically,... |
| 3 | Middle English | penetracioun | — |
| 4 | Old French | penetracïon | penetration (act, instance of penetrating) |
| 5 | Latin | penetrātiō | piercing, penetration |
| 6 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 7 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 8 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 9 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 11 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 12 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Middle English penne knyfe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | penne knyfe | penknife |
| 2 | Middle English | penne | A pen or other implement for writing; A writer's... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | penne | feather |
| 4 | Old French | penne | feather |
| 5 | Latin | penna | wing; feather, especially a flight-feather;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | petnā | feather; wing |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
via English knife
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knife | A utensil or a tool designed for cutting,... |
| 2 | Middle English | knyf | A knife as a tool or instrument; the following... |
| 3 | Old English | cnīf | knife |
| 4 | Old Norse | knífr | knife |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | knībaz | pincers; shears; knife |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | knīpaną | to pinch |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneybʰ- | — |