Where does “windsurfing” come from?
Windsurfing, a sport combining a sailboard with wind propulsion, derives from wind and surfing, where wind traces to Old English windan, Middle English winde, and Proto-Germanic windaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁-, meaning to blow or move.
windsurfing (English): A marine sport in which one stands on a floating...
Definitions
- A marine sport in which one stands on a floating...
Ancestry of “windsurfing”, step by step
windsurfing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wind
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wind | Real or perceived movement of atmospheric air... |
| 2 | English | farm | A place where agricultural and similar activities... |
| 3 | Middle English | ferme | A lease; the renting of land |
| 4 | Old French | ferme | lease; the land leased; farm |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | ferma | Alternative form of firma |
| 6 | Latin | Firma | tax, tribute |
| 7 | Latin | Firmus | strong, powerful |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | fermos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer-mo-s | holding |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via English surfing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | surfing | present participle of surf; The pastime or sport... |
| 2 | English | -ing | Used to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ynge | Alternative form of -ing |
| 4 | Old English | -ung | forming nouns from verbs, denoting verbal action... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ungō | -ing, -ion. "Forms gerund nouns from verbs." |