Where does “piecemealwise” come from?
piecemealwise (English) comes from English piecemeal, from Middle English pecemele, from Middle English mele, from Old English melu, from Proto-West Germanic melu, from Proto-Germanic melwą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “piecemealwise”, step by step
piecemealwise traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English piecemeal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | piecemeal | Made or done in pieces or one stage at a time;... |
| 2 | Middle English | pecemele | — |
| 3 | Middle English | mele | Flour, especially that of wheat; The meal of... |
| 4 | Old English | melu | flour; meal, the edible part of a grain or pulse |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | melu | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | melwą | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |