Where does “squeamous” come from?
squeamous (English) comes from Middle English sweme, from Old English swima, from Proto-West Germanic swimman, from Proto-Germanic swimmaną, from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- — to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim.
squeamous (English): squeamish
Definitions
- squeamish
Ancestry of “squeamous”, step by step
squeamous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sweme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sweme | — |
| 2 | Old English | swima | a swoon, swimming in the head |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | swimman | to swim |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swimmaną | to be unsteady; to swim; float |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | swem(bʰ)- | to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim |
via Middle English squaimous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | squaimous | squeamish |