Where does “watchmaker” come from?
Watchmaker is an English compound of watch and maker, where watch derives from Middle English wacche, and maker contains the agent suffix -er from Middle English, Old French, and Latin -āre, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mag-.
watchmaker (English): A person who repairs watches
Definitions
- A person who repairs watches
Ancestry of “watchmaker”, step by step
watchmaker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English maker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | maker | Someone who makes; a person or thing that makes... |
| 2 | Middle English | maker | God as creator of all; Someone who makes; a... |
| 3 | Middle English | maken | To make or create; to have something made |
| 4 | Old English | macian | to make |
| 5 | Emilian | mâcia | spot, stain |
| 6 | Latin | Macula | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smh₁-tleh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smeh₁- | smear, rub |
via English watch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | watch | A portable or wearable timepiece; The act of... |
| 2 | English | puppy | A young dog, especially before sexual maturity; A... |
| 3 | English | puppie | Obsolete form of puppy |
| 4 | Middle French | poupée | doll, toy |
| 5 | Old French | poupée | — |
| 6 | Latin | pupa | girl, little girl; doll, puppet; pupa |
| 7 | Latin | pupus | a boy, a child; a puppet; the pupil of the eye |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂w- | few, little; smallness |