Where does “rootstalk” come from?
rootstalk (English) comes from English root, from Middle English rote, from Old French rote, from Latin rupta, from Latin ruptus, from Latin rumpō, from Proto-Indo-European Hrunépti, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewp- — to tear out, dig out, open, acquire.
Ancestry of “rootstalk”, step by step
rootstalk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English root
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | root | The part of a plant, generally underground, that... |
| 2 | Middle English | rote | The root; The foundation or base of a... |
| 3 | Old French | rote | route, path |
| 4 | Latin | rupta | nominative feminine singular of ruptus;... |
| 5 | Latin | ruptus | broken; ruptured, burst |
| 6 | Latin | rumpō | to break, burst, tear, rend, rupture; break asunder, force open |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrunépti | to be breaking |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewp- | to break, tear |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrew- | to tear out, dig out, open, acquire |
via English stalk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stalk | The stem or main axis of a plant, which supports... |
| 2 | Middle English | stalken | to stalk |
| 3 | Old English | stealcian | to stalk |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stalkaz | high, lofty, steep, stiff |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tAlg- / -e- | to jut out, protrude |