Where does “ridgeline” come from?
Ridgeline derives from English ridge and English line, which comes from Old English līn, from Proto-Germanic hrugjaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European līno- meaning flax or linen.
ridgeline (English): The topmost edge along a mountain ridge
Definitions
- The topmost edge along a mountain ridge
Ancestry of “ridgeline”, step by step
ridgeline traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ridge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ridge | The back of any animal; especially the upper or... |
| 2 | Middle English | rigge | — |
| 3 | Old English | hryċġ | ridge; back, spine, ridge, elevated surface |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English line
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | line | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight |
| 2 | Middle English | line | rope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,... |
| 3 | Old English | līne | line, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |