Where does “press-gang” come from?
press-gang (English) comes from English press, from Middle English presse, from Old French presse, from Old French presser, from Latin pressāre, from Latin premere, from Latin premo, from Proto-Indo-European pres- — passed , crossed.
press-gang (English): A body of men employed to force others into...
Definitions
- A body of men employed to force others into...
Ancestry of “press-gang”, step by step
press-gang traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English press
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | press | A device used to apply pressure to an item; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | presse | throng, crowd, clothespress |
| 3 | Old French | presse | — |
| 4 | Old French | presser | to press |
| 5 | Latin | pressāre | — |
| 6 | Latin | premere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | premo | I press; I pursue |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pres- | to press |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English gang
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gang | To go; walk; proceed; A number going in company;... |
| 2 | Middle English | gang | going |
| 3 | Old English | gang | going, walking; path; gait |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *gang | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gangaz | pace, step, gait; walk; way, course |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰongʰ-o-s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰengʰ- | to walk; to step |