Where does “steamroller” come from?
steamroller (English) comes from English roller, from English roll, from Middle English rolle, from Old French rolle, from Medieval Latin rotulus, from Latin rotula, from Arabic رَطْل, from Classical Syriac ܪܝܛܠܐ — ingot.
steamroller (English): a steam-powered heavy road roller; Any heavy road...
Definitions
- a steam-powered heavy road roller; Any heavy road...
Ancestry of “steamroller”, step by step
steamroller traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English roller
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | roller | "Anything that rolls."; A long wide bandage used... |
| 2 | English | roll | To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to... |
| 3 | Middle English | rolle | — |
| 4 | Old French | rolle | registration |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | rotulus | a roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a... |
| 6 | Latin | rotula | a small wheel; roll |
| 7 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 8 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 9 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 10 | French | litre | litre |
| 11 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 13 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |