Where does “whiffletree” come from?
whiffletree (English) comes from English whiffle, from English whiff, from Old English wef, from Middle English weven, from Old English wefan, from Proto-West Germanic weban, from Proto-Germanic webaną, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.
whiffletree (English): a whippletree
Definitions
- a whippletree
Ancestry of “whiffletree”, step by step
whiffletree traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English whiffle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | whiffle | A short blow or gust; Something small or... |
| 2 | English | whiff | A waft; a brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of... |
| 3 | Old English | wef | web |
| 4 | Middle English | weven | To weave; to perform or do some weaving; To... |
| 5 | Old English | wefan | to weave |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | weban | to weave |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | webaną | to weave |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | webʰ- | to weave, braid |