Where does “preen” come from?
preen (English) comes from Old French proignier, from Old French prooignier, from Latin rotundus, from Latin rotō, from Latin Rota, from Proto-Italic rotā, from Proto-Indo-European Hróth₂-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European Hreth₂- — to run.
preen (English): A forked tool used by clothiers for dressing...
Definitions
- A forked tool used by clothiers for dressing...
Ancestry of “preen”, step by step
preen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French proignier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | proignier | to trim the feathers with the beak |
| 2 | Old French | prooignier | — |
| 3 | Latin | rotundus | round, circular; spherical, rotund; rounded,... |
| 4 | Latin | rotō | to turn, trend, wheel, roll, swing about, whirl, rotate; brandish |
| 5 | Latin | Rota | an ecclesiastical appellate court in the Catholic... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | rotā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hróth₂-eh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreth₂- | to run |
via Middle English prene
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | prene | — |