Where does “vixenly” come from?
vixenly (English) comes from English Vixen, from English fixen, from Middle English fixen, from Old English fyxen, from Proto-West Germanic fuhsini, from Proto-West Germanic fuhs, from Proto-Germanic fuhsaz, from Proto-Indo-European púḱsos — tail; press together.
vixenly (English): Like a vixen; vixenish
Ancestry of “vixenly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Vixen | — |
| 2 | English | fixen | Obsolete form of vixen |
| 3 | Middle English | fixen | a vixen |
| 4 | Old English | fyxen | vixen |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | fuhsini | vixen, female fox |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | fuhs | fox |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fuhsaz | fox |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | púḱsos | the tailed one |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | puḱ- | tail; press together |