Where does “pipe dream” come from?
pipe dream (English) comes from English dream, from Middle English drem, from Old Frisian drēma, from Proto-West Germanic *draumijan, from Proto-Germanic draumijaną, from Proto-Germanic draumaz, from Proto-Germanic draugmaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰrowgʰ-mos — to support; to hold.
pipe dream (English): A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely...
Definitions
- A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely...
Ancestry of “pipe dream”, step by step
pipe dream traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dream
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dream | Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping;... |
| 2 | Middle English | drem | music; voice, conversing; joy, mirthfulness |
| 3 | Old Frisian | drēma | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *draumijan | to dream |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | draumijaną | to dream |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | draumaz | dream |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | draugmaz | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrowgʰ-mos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrewgʰ- | to deceive, to mislead; to serve one's tribe;... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via English pipe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pipe | Meanings relating to a wind instrument; Meanings... |
| 2 | Middle English | pīpe | A pipe; a piece of tubing used as a channel (often for fluids) |
| 3 | Middle English | pipen | To use a pipe or similar musical instrument; to... |
| 4 | Old English | pīpian | to pipe |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | pīpan | to peep, to chirp, to squeak |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | pīpaną | To chirp or pipe like a bird or rodent; To talk... |
| 7 | Latin | pipo | I pip, peep |