Where does “ploughtail” come from?
ploughtail (English) comes from English Plough, from Middle English plouh, from Old English plōh, from Old Frisian plōg, from Proto-Germanic plōgaz, from Proto-Celtic ɸlowyos, from Proto-Indo-European plówyos, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.
ploughtail (English): The hind part or handle of a plough
Definitions
- The hind part or handle of a plough
Ancestry of “ploughtail”, step by step
ploughtail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Plough
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Plough | The brightest seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major. They are Alkaid, Mizar, Alioth, Megrez, Dubhe, Merak, and Phecda |
| 2 | Middle English | plouh | — |
| 3 | Old English | plōh | hide of land, ploughland |
| 4 | Old Frisian | plōg | troop, common interest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | plōgaz | plough |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | ɸlowyos | rudder |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plówyos | ship |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
via English Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |