Where does “white whale” come from?
white whale (English) comes from English White, from English sox, from English socks, from English sock, from French soc, from Vulgar Latin soccus, from Proto-Celtic sukkos, from Proto-Indo-European suH- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...
white whale (English): A cetacean, "Delphinapterus leucas", found in the...
Definitions
- A cetacean, "Delphinapterus leucas", found in the...
Ancestry of “white whale”, step by step
white whale traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English White
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | White | Alternative letter-case form of white; An... |
| 2 | English | sox | plural of sock |
| 3 | English | socks | plural of sock; Third-person singular simple... |
| 4 | English | sock | A knitted or woven covering for the foot; A shoe... |
| 5 | French | soc | plowshare; Boston butt |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | soccus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | sukkos | pig (snout) |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | suH- | pig, hog, swine |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sewH- | to bear; to give birth |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |