Where does “arsy versy” come from?
arsy versy (English) comes from English arsa versa, from English arse, from Middle English ars, from Old French arz, from Latin artes, from Latin ars, from Proto-Italic artis, from Proto-Indo-European h₂értis — to fit, to fix, to put together.
arsy versy (English): Tumbling upside down; head over heels; backwards
Definitions
- Tumbling upside down; head over heels; backwards
Ancestry of “arsy versy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | arsa versa | — |
| 2 | English | arse | The buttocks or more specifically, the anus; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | ars | arse, anus; bottom, buttocks; plural of art |
| 4 | Old French | arz | — |
| 5 | Latin | artes | second-person singular present active subjunctive... |
| 6 | Latin | ars | art; skill, craft, handicraft, trade, power |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | artis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂értis | fitting |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |