Where does “searchlight” come from?
searchlight (English) comes from English search, from Middle English serchen, from Old French cerchier, from Latin circō, from Latin circā, from Latin circum, from Latin circus, from Ancient Greek κρίκος — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
searchlight (English): A light source that projects a bright beam of...
Definitions
- A light source that projects a bright beam of...
Ancestry of “searchlight”, step by step
searchlight traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English search
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | search | An attempt to find something; The act of... |
| 2 | Middle English | serchen | To search, to try to find; to scour; To research;... |
| 3 | Old French | cerchier | to search; to seek; to look for |
| 4 | Latin | circō | to traverse, go about |
| 5 | Latin | circā | — |
| 6 | Latin | circum | about, around; in a circle, all around, on both... |
| 7 | Latin | circus | a circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | κρίκος | ring |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |
via English Light
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Light | A place name |
| 2 | Middle English | light | The radiation which allows for vision by... |
| 3 | Old English | lēoht | luminous, bright, light, clear, resplendent,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | leuht | light, bright; light |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | leuhtą | light |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewktom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |