Where does “pothole” come from?
pothole (English) comes from English hole, from Middle English hole, from Old English hol, from Proto-West Germanic hol, from Proto-Germanic hulą, from Proto-Germanic hulaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
pothole (English): A shallow pit or other edged depression in a...
Definitions
- A shallow pit or other edged depression in a...
Ancestry of “pothole”, step by step
pothole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
via Middle English pot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pot | A pot; a circular receptacle or vessel; The top... |
| 2 | Old French | pot | pot; third-person singular present indicative of... |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | pottum | — |
| 4 | Frankish | *pott | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | puttaz | pot, jar, tub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | budn- | a kind of vessel; type of vessel; a type of... |