Where does “woolpack” come from?
woolpack (English) comes from English pack, from Middle English pakken, from Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos — adjectival suffix.
woolpack (English): A bag of wool, traditionally weighing 240 pounds;...
Definitions
- A bag of wool, traditionally weighing 240 pounds;...
Ancestry of “woolpack”, step by step
woolpack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pack | A bundle made up and prepared to be carried;... |
| 2 | Middle English | pakken | To pack; to put into a pack or container; To... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via English wool
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wool | The hair of the sheep, llama and some other... |
| 2 | Middle English | wolle | wool coat of sheep, especially when used to make fabric |
| 3 | Old English | wull | wool |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wullu | wool |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wullō | wool |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂ | wool |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |