Where does “tradesman” come from?
Tradesman comes from English trade and English man, from Old English -es and Middle English mon, from Proto-Indo-European -es and men-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm and men- meaning "to think" or "mind."
tradesman (English): A skilled manual worker; One who trades; a...
Definitions
- A skilled manual worker; One who trades; a...
Ancestry of “tradesman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -s- | |
| 2 | Middle English | -s | Adverbial genitive ending, developed into the... |
| 3 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |