Where does “thumbnail” come from?
Thumbnail comes from English thumb plus nail, with thumb tracing back through Middle English thoumbe and Old English þūma to Proto-Indo-European roots.
thumbnail (English): The fingernail on the thumb; A rough sketch; A...
Definitions
- The fingernail on the thumb; A rough sketch; A...
Ancestry of “thumbnail”, step by step
thumbnail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thumb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thumb | The short thick digit of the hand that for humans... |
| 2 | Middle English | þombe | thumb; thumb-length; big toe |
| 3 | Old English | þūma | thumb |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þūmō | thumb |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þūmô | thumb |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tūm- | to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |
via English nail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nail | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and... |
| 2 | Middle English | nail | Alternative form of nayl |
| 3 | Old English | næġl | nail |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |