Where does “wiretapper” come from?
wiretapper (English) comes from English tapper, from English tap, from Middle English tappe, from Middle English tappen, from Old English tæppian, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn — he, she.
wiretapper (English): A person who installs or monitors wiretaps
Definitions
- A person who installs or monitors wiretaps
Ancestry of “wiretapper”, step by step
wiretapper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tapper
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tapper | One who makes a tapping noise; A tap-dancer; A... |
| 2 | English | tap | A tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop... |
| 3 | Middle English | tappe | A spigot or plug for a hole or spout; A hole or... |
| 4 | Middle English | tappen | To let fluids flow from a spout; To retail beer;... |
| 5 | Old English | tæppian | to tap |
| 6 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 7 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 13 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English wire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wire | Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now... |
| 2 | Middle English | wir | — |
| 3 | Old English | wīr | wire, metal thread, wire-ornament |
| 4 | English | myrtle | An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus... |
| 5 | Old French | myrte | — |
| 6 | Latin | myrtus | myrtle |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μύρτος | myrtle; twig or spray of myrtle |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | μυρίκη | tamarisk |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ίκη | — |