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

  1. Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or...

Ancestry of “windlass”, step by step

windlass traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English windas

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwindaswindlass
2Anglo-Normanwindase—
3Old Norsevindásswindlass
4Old Norsevindato twist, wring, squeeze, wind; to wind, hoist;...
5Proto-Germanicwindanąto wind, to wrap
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwendʰ-to wind, to turn

via Middle English wyndas

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwyndas—
2Old Frenchwindeis—

via Middle English wyndace

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwyndace—

Words derived from “windlass”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wendʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic windaną →Every word from Old Norse vinda →