Where does “railmotor” come from?
railmotor (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...
railmotor (English): A lightweight railcar
Definitions
- A lightweight railcar
Ancestry of “railmotor”, step by step
railmotor 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 motor
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | motor | A machine or device that converts other energy... |
| 2 | Middle English | motour | — |
| 3 | Latin | motor | mover; that which moves something; first-person... |
| 4 | Latin | -tor | -er |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -tōr | Forms agent nouns to verb stems |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tōr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tor-s | — |