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

  1. The soft, feathery pappus attached to the seeds...

Ancestry of “thistledown”, step by step

thistledown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English thistle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthistleAny of several perennial composite plants,...
2Middle EnglishþistelAlternative form of thistel
3Old Englishþistelthistle
4Proto-West Germanic*þistilthistle
5Proto-Germanicþistilazthistle
6Proto-Indo-European(s)teyg-to be sharp; to sting

via English Down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDownusually known as County Down
2Middle Englishdoundown
3Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
4Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þistilaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *þistil →