Where does “weaselese” come from?
weaselese (English) comes from English weasel, from Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-West Germanic wisulā, from Proto-Germanic wisulǭ, from Proto-Germanic wisō- — European polecat, "Mustela putorius".
weaselese (English): weaselly language
Definitions
- weaselly language
Ancestry of “weaselese”, step by step
weaselese traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English weasel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | weasel | The least weasel, "Mustela nivalis"; Any of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | wesele | weasel, polecat; A meal made of a pig or a capon... |
| 3 | Old English | weosule | weasel |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wisulā | weasel |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wisulǭ | weasel |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wisō- | European polecat, "Mustela putorius" |