Where does “watercloset” come from?
watercloset (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;...
Ancestry of “watercloset”, step by step
watercloset traces back through two 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 closet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | closet | Any private area, bowers in the open air; Any... |
| 2 | Middle English | closet | — |
| 3 | Old French | closet | small enclosed area, such as a field or a paddock |
| 4 | Old French | clos | enclosed outdoor area, such as a field or a... |
| 5 | Latin | clausus | closed, inaccessible; having been closed;... |
| 6 | Latin | claudere | present active infinitive of claudō;... |
| 7 | Latin | claudo | I shut, close, lock; I imprison, confine; I... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | klaudō | close |