Where does “unsinew” come from?

unsinew (English) comes from English sinew, from Middle English synwe, from Old English sinu, from Proto-West Germanic sinu, from Proto-Germanic senawō, from Proto-Indo-European snḗh₁wr̥, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁- — to spin (thread), to sew.

unsinew (English): To deprive of sinews or strength

Definitions

  1. To deprive of sinews or strength

Ancestry of “unsinew”, step by step

unsinew traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English sinew

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsinewA cord or tendon of the body; A cord or string,...
2Middle EnglishsynweA tendon or sinew band of collagen
3Old Englishsinusinew, nerve, tendon
4Proto-West Germanicsinusinew
5Proto-Germanicsenawōcord, tendon, sinew; nerve
6Proto-Indo-Europeansnḗh₁wr̥tendon, sinew; sinew, tendon
7Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₁-to spin (thread), to sew

via English un

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunOne
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European snḗh₁wr̥Every word from Proto-Germanic senawō