Where does “ass” come from?
ass (Middle English) comes from Middle English asshe, from Old English æsc, from Old English æsċ, from Old English trēo, from Proto-West Germanic treu, from Proto-Germanic trewą, from English doru, from Ancient Greek δόρυ — hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree.
ass (Middle English): Alternative form of asshe
Definitions
- Alternative form of asshe
Ancestry of “ass”, step by step
ass traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English asshe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | asshe | ashes; The remnants of a lifeform; The matter... |
| 2 | Old English | æsc | ash tree; spear; ship |
| 3 | Old English | æsċ | ash tree; ash, spear, lance, ship |
| 4 | Old English | trēo | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | treu | tree; wood |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | trewą | tree |
| 7 | English | doru | Alternative form of dory |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | δόρυ | wood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,... |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | dóru | tree |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |