Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees. · The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit. · The soft tissue inside a human or animal body or one of their organs; specifically, the spongy interior substance of a horn or the shaft of a feather. · Chiefly of animals: the soft tissue inside a spinal cord; the spinal marrow; also, the spinal cord itself.
To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord. · To extract the pith from (something or (figurative) someone).
The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed or stone inside a fruit”). The verb Middle English pethen (“to give courage or strength”), derived from pith (noun), did not survive into modern English. Cognates * Dutch peen (“carrot”) * Middle Low German peddek, peddik, piddek (“bone marrow; medulla; spinal cord; inner part of a horn or quill; (figurative) core, essence”) (the last spelling rare) (Low German Peddik (“core; pulp”)) * West Frisian piid (“pulp, kernel”)
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Inherited-form mentionpithenm
- Inherited-form mentionpiþaang
- Inherited-form mention*piþôgem-pro
- Doublet mentionpiten · seed or stone inside a fruit
- Cognate mentionpethenenm · to give courage or strength
- Cognate mentionpeennl · carrot
- Cognate mentionpeddekgml
- Cognate mentionPeddiknds · core; pulp
- Cognate mentionpiidfy · pulp, kernel
This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.",
"The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit.",
"The soft tissue inside a human or animal body or one of their organs; specifically, the spongy interior substance of a horn or the shaft of a feather.",
"Chiefly of animals: the soft tissue inside a spinal cord; the spinal marrow; also, the spinal cord itself."
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"To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord.",
"To extract the pith from (something or (figurative) someone)."
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