Where does “woolgather” come from?
woolgather (English) comes from English woolgathering, from English Gathering, from Middle English gadering, from Old English gaderung, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn — smoke; mist, haze.
woolgather (English): To daydream
Definitions
- To daydream
Ancestry of “woolgather”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | woolgathering | The gathering of fragments of wool torn from... |
| 2 | English | Gathering | A meeting or get-together; a party or social function |
| 3 | Middle English | gadering | — |
| 4 | Old English | gaderung | a gathering, assembly, joining, council,... |
| 5 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 6 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 7 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 10 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 11 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |