Where does “barminess” come from?
barminess (English) comes from English barmy, from English barm, from Middle English barm, from Old English bearm, from Proto-West Germanic *barm, from Proto-Germanic barmaz, from Indo-European *bʰer-.
barminess (English): The state of being barmy
Definitions
- The state of being barmy
Ancestry of “barminess”, step by step
barminess traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English barmy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | barmy | Odd, strange, or crazy; Containing barm, i.e.... |
| 2 | English | barm | Bosom, lap; Foam rising upon beer, or other malt... |
| 3 | Middle English | barm | The lap; chest, torso, abdomen; belly, stomach |
| 4 | Old English | bearm | bosom, lap; possession |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *barm | lap |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | barmaz | lap; bosom |
| 7 | Indo-European | *bʰer- | — |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |