Where does “thimblerig” come from?
thimblerig (English) comes from English rig, from English ring, from Middle English ryng, from Old English hring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- — to cut, cut off, sever.
thimblerig (English): A game of skill which requires the bettor to...
Definitions
- A game of skill which requires the bettor to...
Ancestry of “thimblerig”, step by step
thimblerig traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rig
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rig | The rigging of a sailing ship or other such... |
| 2 | English | ring | A solid object in the shape of a circle; A group... |
| 3 | Middle English | ryng | ring |
| 4 | Old English | hring | ring |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hring | ring, circle |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hringaz | ring, circle; curve; sound, ring |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)krengʰ- | to turn, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
via English thimble
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thimble | A pitted, now usually metal, cap for the fingers,... |
| 2 | Middle English | thymbyll | thimble |
| 3 | Old English | þȳmel | thumbstall; fingerstall; thimble |
| 4 | Old English | þūma | thumb |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | þūmō | thumb |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | þūmô | thumb |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tūm- | to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |