Where does “touchwood” come from?
touchwood (English) comes from English Wood, from English Frog, from Portuguese froco, from Latin floccus, from Frankish flokko, from Proto-Germanic *flukkô, from Proto-Indo-European plewk-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.
touchwood (English): Decayed wood used as tinder; punk
Definitions
- Decayed wood used as tinder; punk
Ancestry of “touchwood”, step by step
touchwood traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Wood
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wood | An English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood |
| 2 | English | Frog | Alternative form of frog |
| 3 | Portuguese | froco | flock |
| 4 | Latin | floccus | tuft, wisp of wool |
| 5 | Frankish | flokko | down, wool, flock |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *flukkô | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
via English touch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | touch | Primarily physical senses; Primarily non-physical... |
| 2 | Middle English | touchen | to touch |
| 3 | Old French | tochier | to touch |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | tucco | to knock, strike, offend; to strike; to touch; I... |
| 5 | Frankish | tukkōn | to knock, strike, touch; to touch, hit; to touch |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tukkōną | to tug, pull; to grab, snatch; to grasp, touch |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |