Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “six-footer” come from?

six-footer (English) comes from English footer, from English football, from Middle English fotbal, from Middle English bal, from Old English beall, from English beal, from Old English hyll, from Albanian hulli — to rise, to be tall; hill.

six-footer (English): A person who is six feet tall; An object that is...

Definitions

  1. A person who is six feet tall; An object that is...

Ancestry of “six-footer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfooterA footgoer; pedestrian; A line of information...
2EnglishfootballA sport played on foot in which teams attempt to...
3Middle Englishfotbal—
4Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
5Old Englishbeallball
6EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
7Old Englishhyllhill
8Albanianhullifurrow
9Proto-Germanichullizhill
10Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
11Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH- →