Where does “watershed” come from?
Watershed comes from English water and English shade, from Middle English schade, from Old English sċeadu meaning shadow or protection, and from Proto-Indo-European skÁit- and wódr̥ deriving from wed-.
watershed (English): The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent...
Definitions
- The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent...
Ancestry of “watershed”, step by step
watershed traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English shed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shed | To part, separate or divide; To part with,... |
| 2 | English | ED | Initialism of erectile dysfunction; Initialism of... |
| 3 | Japanese | エンディング | ending, especially of a broadcast or performance |
| 4 | English | ending | A termination or conclusion; The last part of... |
| 5 | Middle English | ending | Alternative form of endyng |
| 6 | Middle English | endyng | An ending, termination, or conclusion;... |
| 7 | Old English | endung | ending |
| 8 | Old English | endian | to end, make an end of; to finish, complete; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | andijōną | to end, bring to an end, finish |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via German Wasserscheide
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Wasserscheide | watershed |
| 2 | German | wasser | inflection of wassern: ## first-person singular... |
| 3 | Middle High German | wazzer | water |
| 4 | Old High German | waȥȥar | water |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | watar | water |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | watōr | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wódr̥ | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |