Where does “sawdust” come from?
Sawdust is a compound of English saw and Middle English dust, which descends from Old English dūst, Proto-Germanic dunstą, and Proto-Indo-European dʰew-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European sek-.
sawdust (English): The fine particles of wood created by sawing; To...
Definitions
- The fine particles of wood created by sawing; To...
Ancestry of “sawdust”, step by step
sawdust traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dust
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dust | Fine particles; The act of cleaning by dusting;... |
| 2 | German | dust | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | dust | — |
| 4 | Old French | joste | joust |
| 5 | Latin | juxta | Alternative form of iū̆xtā; near to, nigh |
| 6 | Latin | iuxta | nearly; near, close to; just as |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | jougestād | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | jougestos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | jougos | yoked animals, team |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yéwgos | team, pair of yoked animals |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yewg- | to join, to yoke, to tie together |
via English saw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | saw | A tool with a toothed blade used for cutting hard... |
| 2 | Middle English | sawe | Alternative form of sauf |
| 3 | Old English | saga | saw; saying; statement; story, tale; narrative |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | sagā | story |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sagǭ | story |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷe- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |