Where does “yellowback” come from?

yellowback (English) comes from English back, from French bac, from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureatus, from Latin baccalaureus, from Latin laurea, from Latin laurus, from English -aceous — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

yellowback (English): A cheap sensational novel

Definitions

  1. A cheap sensational novel

Ancestry of “yellowback”, step by step

yellowback traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English back

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbackNear the rear; Not current; Far from the main...
2Frenchbacferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A...
3Frenchbaccalauréatbaccalaureat; bachelor's degree
4Medieval Latinbaccalaureatusbachelor's degree
5Latinbaccalaureusbachelor
6Latinlaurealaurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of...
7Latinlauruslaurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel
8English-aceousOf, relating to, resembling or containing the...
9Latin-āceusaceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to
10Latin-āxish, -y
11Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
12Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
13Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
14Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

via English yellow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishyellowHaving yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
2Middle Englishyelowyellow, yellowish, gold; yellow-coloured;...
3Old Englishġeoluyellow
4Proto-West Germanicgeluyellow
5Proto-Germanicgelwazyellow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃wósyellow, green
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós