Where does “whistleblower” come from?
whistleblower (English) comes from English whistle-blower, from English blower, from Middle English blowere, from Middle English -ere, from Old English -ere, from Proto-West Germanic -ārī, from Proto-Germanic -ārijaz, from Latin -ārius.
whistleblower (English): Alternative form of whistle-blower
Definitions
- Alternative form of whistle-blower
Ancestry of “whistleblower”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | whistle-blower | One who reports a problem or violation to the... |
| 2 | English | blower | A person who blows; Any device that blows;... |
| 3 | Middle English | blowere | — |
| 4 | Middle English | -ere | — |
| 5 | Old English | -ere | masculine agent suffix, originally applied only... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ārī | -er |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -ārijaz | -er |
| 8 | Latin | -ārius | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | — |