Where does “raindrift” come from?

raindrift (English) comes from English drift, from Middle English drift, from Old English drift, from Proto-Germanic driftiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.

raindrift (English): A sheet of rain blown by the wind

Definitions

  1. A sheet of rain blown by the wind

Ancestry of “raindrift”, step by step

raindrift traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English drift

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdriftMovement; that which moves or is moved; The act...
2Middle Englishdrift
3Old Englishdriftan act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement
4Proto-Germanicdriftizdriving
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreybʰ-to drive, push
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

via English rain

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrainCondensed water falling from a cloud; Any matter...
2Middle Englishreynrain water falling from a cloud
3Old Englishreġnrain
4Proto-West Germanicregnrain
5Proto-Germanicregnąrain
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreǵ-to flow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-