Where does “stoplight” come from?

Stoplight comes from English stop and English light, which derives from Proto-Germanic liuhtijaną and Proto-Indo-European lewk-, meaning to shine or be bright.

stoplight (English): A traffic control signal, traditionally...

Definitions

A traffic control signal, traditionally...

Ancestry of “stoplight”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	stop	To cease moving; To not continue; To cause to...
2	English	top	The highest or uppermost part of something; A...
3	Middle English	top	The summit or top of something, especially a...
4	Old English	topp	—
5	Proto-West Germanic	*topp	—
6	Proto-Germanic	tuppaz	tuft, plait; top, summit
7	Proto-Indo-European	dumb-	tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,...

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dumb- →