Where does “sea star” come from?
sea star (English) comes from English sea, from Middle English see, from Old English sǣ, from Proto-West Germanic saiwi, from Proto-Germanic saiwiz, from Proto-Germanic sīhwaną, from Proto-Indo-European seykʷ-, from Proto-Indo-European sey- — to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;...
sea star (English): A starfish
Definitions
- A starfish
Ancestry of “sea star”, step by step
sea star traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sea | A large body of salt water; A lake, especially if... |
| 2 | Middle English | see | sea, ocean; A body of water, a lake; seat, chair |
| 3 | Old English | sǣ | sea, lake |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | saiwi | sea |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | saiwiz | sea, ocean |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sīhwaną | to filter |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seykʷ- | to moisten; to filter |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sey- | to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;... |
via English star
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | star | Any small luminous dot appearing in the cloudless... |
| 2 | Middle English | sterre | star |
| 3 | Old English | steorra | star |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | sterrō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sternô | star |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |