Etymology

rudderhead

R1U1D2D2E1R1H4E1A1D2

Today it means: The upper part of the rudderstock, to which a tiller is attached. Full definition →

English head ← Middle English heed ← Old English hēafod
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁reh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁roh₁-(ye-)-ti
  3. Proto-Germanic*rōaną
  4. Proto-Germanic*rōþrą
  5. Proto-West Germanic*rōþr
  6. Old Englishrōþor
  7. Middle Englishrother
  8. Englishrudder
  9. Proto-Indo-European*kap-?
  10. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*káput
  12. Proto-Germanic*haubudą
  13. Old Englishhēafod
  14. Middle Englishheed
  15. Englishhead
  16. English todayrudderhead

From rudder + head.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.