Where does “pliers” come from?
Pliers derives from English ply, which comes from English apply, ultimately tracing through Latin ad- and the Latin verb suffix -are.
pliers (English): A pincer-like gripping tool that multiplies the...
Definitions
- A pincer-like gripping tool that multiplies the...
Ancestry of “pliers”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | ply | A layer of material; A strand that, twisted... |
| 2 | English | apply | To lay or place; to put; To put to use; to use or... |
| 3 | Middle English | aplien | — |
| 4 | Old French | applier | to bend; to apply |
| 5 | Latin | applicō | — |
| 6 | Latin | ad- | to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it... |
| 7 | Latin | īn- | — |
| 8 | Latin | în | — |
| 9 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
Words derived from “pliers”