Where does “sagebrush” come from?
Sagebrush is a compound of sage, from Middle English and Old French sage (wise person), ultimately from Latin sapere (to taste or know), and brush, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥stís.
sagebrush (English): Any of several North American aromatic shrubs of...
Definitions
- Any of several North American aromatic shrubs of...
Ancestry of “sagebrush”, step by step
sagebrush traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Brush
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Brush | An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including cleaning, painting, and arranging hair |
| 2 | Middle English | brusshe | — |
| 3 | Old French | broisse | — |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | brustia | — |
| 5 | Icelandic | bursti | brush |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burstiz | bristle |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bʰurstís | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥s-tí-s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰers- | top, tip, point |
via English Sage
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Sage | One of the triune gods of the Horned God in Wicca, representing a man, older than a middle-aged Father and boyish Master |
| 2 | Middle English | sage | A sage; a person who serves as a fount of wisdom... |
| 3 | Old French | sage | wise |
| 4 | Latin | sagāx | of quick perception, having acute senses; keen-scented |
| 5 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 6 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 7 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |