Where does “motorbike” come from?
motorbike (Norman) comes from Norman motor-bike, from English motorbike, from English bike, from English bicycle, from French bicycle, from French bi-, from Latin bis, from Latin color — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
motorbike (Norman): Alternative form of motor-bike
Definitions
- Alternative form of motor-bike
Ancestry of “motorbike”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman | motor-bike | motorbike |
| 2 | English | motorbike | A motorcycle; A small and light motorcycle; To... |
| 3 | English | bike | Clipping of bicycle; Clipping of motorbike;... |
| 4 | English | bicycle | A vehicle that has two wheels, one behind the... |
| 5 | French | bicycle | bicycle |
| 6 | French | bi- | bi |
| 7 | Latin | bis | twice, two times, on two occasions, in two ways |
| 8 | Latin | color | colour, shade; color; pigment; complexion |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |