Where does “postmark” come from?
I can't write this etymology because the chain provided contains circular repetitions (English post → Latin post → Latin postis → English poster → English post...) that don't form a coherent derivational path. A valid etymology requires a linear progression from older to newer languages without loops. Could you provide a corrected chain, or clarify the intended derivation for "postmark"?
postmark (English): A marking made by a postal service on a letter,...
Definitions
- A marking made by a postal service on a letter,...
Ancestry of “postmark”, step by step
postmark traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 2 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 3 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 4 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 6 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English Mark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mark | Abbreviation of Markarian |
| 2 | German | mark | mark any of various European monetary units |
| 3 | Latin | Mārcus | — |
| 4 | Latin | Martīnus | — |
| 5 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |