Where does “tailmost” come from?
tailmost (English) comes from English most, from Middle English most, from Old English mǣst, from Proto-Germanic maistaz, from Proto-Germanic mikilaz, from Proto-Indo-European meǵa-.
tailmost (English): Furthest toward the tail
Definitions
- Furthest toward the tail
Ancestry of “tailmost”, step by step
tailmost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English most
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | most | superlative degree of much; superlative degree of... |
| 2 | Middle English | most | — |
| 3 | Old English | mǣst | most |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maistaz | superlative degree of *mikilaz; most |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mikilaz | great, large; much, many |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵa- | — |
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 |