Where does “sinkhole” come from?
Sinkhole comes from Middle English sinkeholl, a compound of sink and hole referring to a natural depression where water drains away.
sinkhole (English): A hole formed in soluble rock by the action of...
Definitions
- A hole formed in soluble rock by the action of...
Ancestry of “sinkhole”, step by step
sinkhole traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
via English sink
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sink | "To move or be moved into something."; "To... |
| 2 | German | zink | singular imperative of zinken; first-person... |
| 3 | Middle High German | zinke | tine, prong |
| 4 | Old High German | zinko | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tindaz | tooth; cog; peg; tine; nail; spike; prong; peak;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃dónts | tooth |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ed- | to eat |
via Middle English sinkehole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sinkehole | — |