Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “line” come from?

line (Middle English) comes from Old English līne, from Proto-West Germanic *līnā, from Proto-Germanic līnǭ, from Proto-Germanic līną, from Proto-Indo-European līno- — flax.

line (Middle English): rope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,...

Definitions

  1. rope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,...

Ancestry of “line”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlīneline, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,...
2Proto-West Germanic*līnā—
3Proto-Germaniclīnǭthat which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,...
4Proto-Germaniclīnąflax
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlīno-flax

Words derived from “line”

  • line
  • lines
  • online
  • outline
  • baseline
  • lining
  • airline
  • pipeline
  • headline
  • guideline
  • borderline
  • liner
  • timeline
  • coastline
  • shoreline
  • midline
  • offline
  • underline
  • skyline
  • streamline
  • frontline
  • mainline
  • underlining
  • lifeline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European līno- →