Where does “windlass” come from?
Windlass comes from Middle English windas, from Old French windeis, of uncertain origin and meaning.
windlass (English): Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or...
Definitions
- Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or...
Ancestry of “windlass”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | windas | windlass |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | windase | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | vindáss | windlass |
| 4 | Old Norse | vinda | to twist, wring, squeeze, wind; to wind, hoist;... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | windaną | to wind, to wrap |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wendʰ- | to wind, to turn |
Words derived from “windlass”