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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | its | Belonging to it; The one belonging to it; plural... |
| 2 | English | it’s | — |
| 3 | English | -’s | — |
| 4 | Middle English | -s | Adverbial genitive ending, developed into the... |
| 5 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -as | — |
| 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;... |