Where does “ponytail” come from?
Ponytail is a compound of English pony and tail, where pony derives through French and Latin from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- meaning to bite or tear.
ponytail (English): A hairstyle where the hair is pulled back and...
Definitions
- A hairstyle where the hair is pulled back and...
Ancestry of “ponytail”, step by step
ponytail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pony
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pony | A small horse; specifically, any of several small... |
| 2 | Scots | powny | pony |
| 3 | Middle French | poulenet | little foal |
| 4 | Latin | pullanus | young of an animal |
| 5 | Latin | pullus | A young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |
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 |