Where does “tailspine” come from?
tailspine (English) comes from English spine, from Middle English spyne, from Old French espine, from Latin spīna, from Proto-Italic speinā, from Proto-Indo-European spēy- — to stretch; thrive; succeed.
tailspine (English): A spine on the end of a tail
Definitions
- A spine on the end of a tail
Ancestry of “tailspine”, step by step
tailspine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spine | The series of bones situated at the back from the... |
| 2 | Middle English | spyne | A spine |
| 3 | Old French | espine | spine; backbone; spine; spike |
| 4 | Latin | spīna | a thorn or a thorny tree or shrub, such as whitethorn, hawthorn, or blackthorn |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | speinā | thorn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | spēy- | to stretch; thrive; succeed |
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 |