Where does “snowhole” come from?

snowhole (English) comes from English hole, from Middle English hole, from Old English hol, from Proto-West Germanic hol, from Proto-Germanic hulą, from Proto-Germanic hulaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

snowhole (English): A hole dug out of a bank of snow for use as a...

Definitions

  1. A hole dug out of a bank of snow for use as a...

Ancestry of “snowhole”, step by step

snowhole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishholeA hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;...
2Middle Englishholehealthy; safe; whole, complete, full
3Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
4Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
5Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
6Proto-Germanichulazhollow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via English snow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsnowThe frozen, crystalline state of water that falls...
2Middle Englishsnowsnow; snow-white; The temperature where snow...
3Old Englishsnāwsnow
4Proto-West Germanicsnaiwsnow
5Proto-Germanicsnaiwazsnow
6Proto-Indo-Europeansnóygʷʰossnow
7Proto-Indo-Europeansneygʷʰ-to snow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-Every word from Proto-Germanic hulazEvery word from Proto-Germanic hulą