Where does “trap-jaw ant” come from?
trap-jaw ant (English) comes from English ȧnt, from Middle English ampte, from Old English ǣmete, from Proto-West Germanic āmaitijā, from Proto-West Germanic uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic uz-, from Proto-Indo-European uss-, from Proto-Indo-European uds- — out, outward.
trap-jaw ant (English): Any of a group of carnivorous ants, of the genus Odontomachus, that have mandibles that can snap shut on prey
Definitions
- Any of a group of carnivorous ants, of the genus Odontomachus, that have mandibles that can snap shut on prey
Ancestry of “trap-jaw ant”, step by step
trap-jaw ant traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English ȧnt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ȧnt | — |
| 2 | Middle English | ampte | An ant; a formicid; A mantid |
| 3 | Old English | ǣmete | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | āmaitijā | ant |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | uʀ- | out, over; off, away |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |
via English trap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trap | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body |
| 2 | Middle English | trappe | trap |
| 3 | Old English | træppe | a trap |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | trap- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dreb- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | der- | to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to... |