Etymograph

English

line drawing

From line + drawing.

A compound of line + drawing

Proto-Germanic *līną ‘flax’

Proto-Germanic *līnǭ ‘line’

Proto-West Germanic *līnā ‘line’

Old English līne ‘line’

Middle English line ‘rope’

English line

Middle English drauing

English drawing

The story

First use appears c. 1891. The figurative sense is a deverbal form of the expression draw the line. The exact date of its first appearance is uncertain.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Today it means

noun A pen or pencil drawing consisting only of solid lines.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / line drawing