Where does “watermelon felon” come from?
watermelon felon (English) comes from English watermelon, from English melon, from Old French melon, from Latin melonem, from Latin melopeponem, from Ancient Greek μηλοπέπων, from Ancient Greek πέπων, from Proto-Indo-European pékʷeti.
watermelon felon (English): A black criminal
Definitions
- A black criminal
Ancestry of “watermelon felon”, step by step
watermelon felon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English watermelon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | watermelon | A plant of the species "Citrullus lanatus",... |
| 2 | English | melon | Any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae... |
| 3 | Old French | melon | melon (fruit) |
| 4 | Latin | melonem | accusative singular of mēlō |
| 5 | Latin | melopeponem | A type of pumpkin |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μηλοπέπων | melon, "Cucumis melo" |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πέπων | ripe, softened; good, sweet, kind; weak, cowardly |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pékʷeti | to be cooking; to ripen |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pekʷ- | to cook; to ripen |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃-ép-kʷ- | — |
via English felon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | felon | A person who has committed a felony; A person who... |
| 2 | English | Wood | An English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood |
| 3 | English | Frog | Alternative form of frog |
| 4 | Portuguese | froco | flock |
| 5 | Latin | floccus | tuft, wisp of wool |
| 6 | Frankish | flokko | down, wool, flock |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *flukkô | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |