ice-bonen.

Etymology: Probably < early modern Dutch isbeen, ischbeen (Old Dutch īsbēn , Middle Dutch yschbeen , ysbeen , ysebeen , ysenbeen ; Dutch ijsbeen ) and Middle Low German īschbēn , īsbēn (Old Saxon īsbēn ), with assimilation of the second element to bone n.¹ and (in α. forms) of the first element to ice n. Compare also (etymologically unrelated) aitch-bone n., with which the word was associated in later use. With Old Dutch īsbēn and Old Saxon īsbēn compare also Old High German īsbein (German Eisbein ); borrowings are shown by Old Danish ysben (Danish isben ) and Swedish isben (1697 as iissben ). The first element of the compound probably ultimately shows a borrowing of classical Latin ischia (plural) hips (see ischium n.), with later folk-etymological identification with the various cognates of ice n. (perhaps arising from the use of such bones as the runners of ice skates), although the reverse of this has also been argued.The provenance of the form ísbán, cited as Old English by J. Vercoullie Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der nederlandsche taal (1890) and by Woordenboek der nederlandsche taal (1908) in their etymologies of Dutch ijsbeen, and occasionally by other late 19th and early 20th cent. sources, has not been traced.