Where does “thistledown” come from?
thistledown (English) comes from English thistle, from Middle English þistel, from Old English þistel, from Proto-West Germanic *þistil, from Proto-Germanic þistilaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
thistledown (English): The soft, feathery pappus attached to the seeds...
Definitions
- The soft, feathery pappus attached to the seeds...
Ancestry of “thistledown”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | thistle | Any of several perennial composite plants,... |
| 2 | Middle English | þistel | Alternative form of thistel |
| 3 | Old English | þistel | thistle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *þistil | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þistilaz | thistle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teyg- | to be sharp; to sting |