Where does “whalelike” come from?

whalelike (English) comes from English like, from Dutch luik, from Middle Dutch luke, from Dutch luiken, from Middle Dutch luken, from Old Dutch lūcan, from Proto-West Germanic lūkan, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną — to break, tear; to break, shatter.

whalelike (English): Resembling a whale or some aspect of one

Definitions

  1. Resembling a whale or some aspect of one

Ancestry of “whalelike”, step by step

whalelike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English like

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlikeTo enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;...
2Dutchluikhatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych
3Middle Dutchluke
4Dutchluikento close, to shut
5Middle Dutchlukento close, to shut; to close, to become closed
6Old Dutchlūcanto close, shut
7Proto-West Germaniclūkanto close, to shut
8Proto-Germaniclūkanąto close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewǵ-to break, tear; to break, shatter

via English whale

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhaleAny of several species of large sea mammals of...
2Middle EnglishwhalA whale or cetacean
3Old Englishhwæla whale
4Proto-West Germanichwalwhale
5Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewǵ-Every word from Proto-Germanic lūkanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic lūkan