Where does “whatsitsname” come from?
whatsitsname (English) comes from English its, from English it’s, from English -’s, from Middle English -s, from Old English -es, from Proto-Germanic -as, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs, from Proto-Indo-European -ess — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
whatsitsname (English): Any object whose name one does not know or cannot...
Definitions
- Any object whose name one does not know or cannot...
Ancestry of “whatsitsname”, step by step
whatsitsname traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English its
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | its | Belonging to it; The one belonging to it; plural... |
| 2 | English | it’s | There's, there is; there're, there are |
| 3 | English | -’s | Attached to a noun or noun phrase linked to a genitive (Compare of mine, etc.) |
| 4 | Middle English | -s | Adverbial genitive ending, developed into the... |
| 5 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |
via English ñame
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ñame | Synonym of name |
| 2 | Middle English | name | name |
| 3 | Old English | nama | name; noun |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | namō | name |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | namô | name |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁nómn̥ | name |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃neh₃- | to name |
via English [[what]]'s
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | [[what]]'s | — |