Where does “windswept” come from?
Windswept comes from English wind and swept, with wind deriving from Middle English winde, Old English windan, Proto-Germanic windaną, and Proto-Indo-European wendʰ-, ultimately from h₂weh₁-.
windswept (English): Exposed to the winds
Definitions
- Exposed to the winds
Ancestry of “windswept”, step by step
windswept 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 swept
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | swept | simple past tense and past participle of sweep |