Where does “tailbone” come from?
Tailbone comes from English tail and bone, with bone tracing to Middle English bon, Old English bān, Proto-Germanic bainą, and Proto-Indo-European deḱ-.
tailbone (English): The final fused vertebrae at the base of the...
Definitions
- The final fused vertebrae at the base of the...
Ancestry of “tailbone”, step by step
tailbone traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Bône
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bône | now known as Annaba |
| 2 | Middle English | bon | bone |
| 3 | Old English | bān | bone, tusk; the bone of a limb |
| 4 | Arabic | بان | to separate, to become distinct, to sunder; to be... |
| 5 | Ottoman Turkish | بان | ban; keeper, tender, ward; ben tree, horseradish... |
| 6 | Ottoman Turkish | باڭ | — |
| 7 | Persian | بنگ | hashish, narcotic made from "Cannabis sativa";... |
| 8 | Middle Persian | 𐭡𐭭𐭢 | henbane |
via English Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |