Where does “thumbsbreadth” come from?
thumbsbreadth (English) comes from English breadth, from Middle English bredthe, from Middle English brede, from Old English bred, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz — adjectival suffix.
thumbsbreadth (English): The width of a thumb, as a unit of measure
Definitions
- The width of a thumb, as a unit of measure
Ancestry of “thumbsbreadth”, step by step
thumbsbreadth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English breadth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breadth | The extent or measure of how broad or wide... |
| 2 | Middle English | bredthe | breadth |
| 3 | Middle English | brede | Alternative form of breiden; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | bred | surface; plank, board; table, tablet |
| 5 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
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 |