Where does “railfan” come from?
railfan (English) comes from English rail, from Middle English rail, from Old English regol, from Latin rēgula, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
railfan (English): A railway enthusiast
Definitions
- A railway enthusiast
Ancestry of “railfan”, step by step
railfan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rail | A horizontal bar extending between supports and... |
| 2 | Middle English | rail | — |
| 3 | Old English | regol | a rule; a ruler |
| 4 | Latin | rēgula | rule, bar |
| 5 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via English Fan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Fan | A diminutive of Frances |
| 2 | English | fanatic | Fanatical; Showing evidence of possession by a... |
| 3 | French | fanatique | fanatic, fanatical; fanatic |
| 4 | Latin | fānāticus | temple |
| 5 | Latin | -aticus | Used to form adjectives indicating a relation to... |
| 6 | Latin | -ātus | ed |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -ātos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂tos | Forms adjectives from nouns, indicating the possession of a thing or a quality |