Where does “ais” come from?
ais (Norman) comes from Latin axis, from Proto-Italic aksis, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.
ais (Norman): shelf, mantelpiece
Ancestry of “ais”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | axis | An axletree of wagon, car, chariot; The North... |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | aksis | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱs- | axis, axle |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |