Where does “sternwheeler” come from?
sternwheeler (English) comes from English sternwheel, from English Stern, from English tern, from Middle English terne, from Old French terne, from Latin ternas, from Latin terni, from Latin ter.
sternwheeler (English): A vessel propelled by a single paddle wheel...
Definitions
- A vessel propelled by a single paddle wheel...
Ancestry of “sternwheeler”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sternwheel | A paddle wheel positioned at the stern of a... |
| 2 | English | Stern | Having a hardness and severity of nature or manner |
| 3 | English | tern | Any of various sea birds of the family Sternidae... |
| 4 | Middle English | terne | — |
| 5 | Old French | terne | dull, dim |
| 6 | Latin | ternas | accusative feminine plural of terni |
| 7 | Latin | terni | three each; three at a time |
| 8 | Latin | ter | thrice |
| 9 | Latin | terr | — |
| 10 | Old Latin | tris | — |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | trēs | three |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | *tréyes | — |