Where does “pierhead” come from?
pierhead (English) comes from English head, from English -y, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.
pierhead (English): The end of a pier farthest from shore
Definitions
- The end of a pier farthest from shore
Ancestry of “pierhead”, step by step
pierhead traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English head
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | head | The part of the body of an animal or human which... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
via English pier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pier | A raised platform built from the shore out over... |
| 2 | Middle English | pere | A pear; A thing of little import or worth; A... |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | pera | bag, satchel; wallet; scrip |
| 4 | Old Northern French | pire | — |
| 5 | Latin | petricus | — |
| 6 | Latin | petra | stone, rock |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πέτρα | rock formation: cliff, ledge, cave, ridge; stone |