Where does “water-thief” come from?
water-thief (English) comes from English water, from Middle English water, from Old English wæter, from Proto-West Germanic watar, from Proto-Germanic watōr, from Proto-Indo-European wódr̥, from Proto-Indo-European wed-, from Proto-Indo-European wey- — to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...
water-thief (English): A thief or robber on the water, hence, a pirate
Definitions
- A thief or robber on the water, hence, a pirate
Ancestry of “water-thief”, step by step
water-thief traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English water
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | water | A substance found at room temperature and... |
| 2 | Middle English | water | water; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,... |
| 3 | Old English | wæter | water |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | watar | water |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | watōr | water |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wódr̥ | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |
via English thief
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thief | One who carries out a theft; One who steals... |
| 2 | Middle Scots | theif | A criminal or villain; a malicious or lawbreaking person |
| 3 | Middle English | þef | Alternative form of thef |
| 4 | Old English | þēof | thief |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | þeub | thief |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | þeubaz | thief |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tewpó- | — |
via Ancient Greek κλεψύδρα
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | κλεψύδρα | pipette; water clock; clepsydra. The ancient form... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | κλέπτω | I steal, filch; I cheat; I mislead, keep secret |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | klépťō | to steal |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | klép-ye-ti | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlep- | to steal |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | klep- | to steal |