Where does “pinhole” come from?

pinhole (English) comes from English hole, from Middle English hole, from Old English hol, from Proto-West Germanic hol, from Proto-Germanic hulą, from Proto-Germanic hulaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

pinhole (English): A small hole, of a size that could have been made...

Definitions

  1. A small hole, of a size that could have been made...

Ancestry of “pinhole”, step by step

pinhole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishholeA hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;...
2Middle Englishholehealthy; safe; whole, complete, full
3Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
4Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
5Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
6Proto-Germanichulazhollow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via English PIN

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPINAcronym of personal identification number;...
2Middle Englishpinne—
3Old Englishpinnpin; peg; an instrument of writing; pen
4Proto-Germanicpinnazpin
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbend-point, pin; peg, tip, protruding point, edge;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hulaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic hulą →