Where does “spindly” come from?
Spindly derives from English spindle plus the Middle English diminutive suffix -y, which came from Middle French -ie, ultimately tracing through Latin -ia and -ivus formations to Proto-Indo-European -kos.
spindly (English): Characteristic of a spindle; slender and of weak...
Definitions
- Characteristic of a spindle; slender and of weak...
Ancestry of “spindly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spindle | A rod used for spinning and then winding natural... |
| 2 | Middle English | spyndel | A spindle; An rod that objects revolve around; a... |
| 3 | Old English | spinel | spindle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | spinnilu | spindle |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | spinnan | to spin |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |