Where does “shoestring root rot” come from?
shoestring root rot (English) comes from English root rot, from English rot, from Middle English roten, from Middle English rote, from Old French rote, from Latin rupta, from Latin ruptus, from Latin rumpō — to tear out, dig out, open, acquire.
Ancestry of “shoestring root rot”, step by step
shoestring root rot traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English root rot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | root rot | Any of several plant fungal diseases caused by having overwet roots |
| 2 | English | rot | To suffer decomposition due to biological action,... |
| 3 | Middle English | roten | To decompose; to make or become rotten or spoiled |
| 4 | Middle English | rote | The root; The foundation or base of a... |
| 5 | Old French | rote | route, path |
| 6 | Latin | rupta | nominative feminine singular of ruptus;... |
| 7 | Latin | ruptus | broken; ruptured, burst |
| 8 | Latin | rumpō | to break, burst, tear, rend, rupture; break asunder, force open |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrunépti | to be breaking |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewp- | to break, tear |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrew- | to tear out, dig out, open, acquire |
via English shoestring
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shoestring | The string or lace used to secure the shoe to the... |
| 2 | English | shoe | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom... |
| 3 | German | Schuh | shoe |
| 4 | Middle High German | schuo | — |
| 5 | Old High German | scuoh | shoe |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | skōh | shoe |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skōhaz | shoe |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | skewk- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kew- | to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,... |