Where does “polydactyl” come from?
polydactyl (English) comes from Ancient Greek πολυδάκτυλος, from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος, from Hebrew דקל, from German Dackel, from German Dachshund, from German Dachs, from Old High German dahs, from Proto-West Germanic þahs — to sire, beget.
polydactyl (English): Polydactylous; A polydactylous animal
Definitions
- Polydactylous; A polydactylous animal
Ancestry of “polydactyl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | πολυδάκτυλος | having many toes |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | δάκτυλος | finger; measure of length, the breadth of a... |
| 3 | Hebrew | דקל | palm tree; date; dachshund |
| 4 | German | Dackel | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 5 | German | Dachshund | dachshund; a similar-looking dog, e.g. a basset... |
| 6 | German | Dachs | badger; genitive singular of Dach |
| 7 | Old High German | dahs | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | þahs | badger |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | þahsuz | badger |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tótḱus | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tetḱ- | to create, produce; to cut, hew |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |