Where does “puff out” come from?

puff out (English) comes from English out, from Middle English oute, from Old English ūt, from Proto-West Germanic *ūt, from Proto-Germanic ūt, from Proto-Indo-European úd — out, outward.

puff out (English): To inflate; To blow briefly and lightly

Definitions

  1. To inflate; To blow briefly and lightly

Ancestry of “puff out”, step by step

puff out traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English out

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoutAway from the inside, centre or other point of...
2Middle Englishouteout
3Old Englishūtout
4Proto-West Germanic*ūtout, outward
5Proto-Germanicūtout, outward
6Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English puff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpuffA sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath...
2Middle Englishpuff—
3Old Englishpyfa blast of wind, puff
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →Every word from Proto-Germanic ūt →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *ūt →