Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “woolgatherer” come from?

woolgatherer (English) comes from English woolgather, 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 — smoke; mist, haze.

woolgatherer (English): One who engages in woolgathering

Definitions

  1. One who engages in woolgathering

Ancestry of “woolgatherer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwoolgatherTo daydream
2EnglishwoolgatheringThe gathering of fragments of wool torn from...
3EnglishGathering—
4Middle Englishgadering—
5Old Englishgaderunga gathering, assembly, joining, council,...
6Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
7Old English-tūn—
8Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
9Proto-West Germanictūnfence
10Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
11Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
12Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
13Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →