Where does “undertail” come from?
undertail (English) comes from English under, from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér, from Proto-Indo-European h₁en — in; in, inside.
undertail (English): Beneath a tail
Definitions
- Beneath a tail
Ancestry of “undertail”, step by step
undertail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English under
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | under | In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;... |
| 2 | Middle English | under | under |
| 3 | Old English | under | under, beneath |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | under | among, between; under, beneath; under |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁entér | between |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁en | in; in, inside |
via English Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |