Where does “facepalm” come from?
facepalm (English) comes from English Palm, from Middle English palme, from Old French palme, from Latin Palma, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₂meh₂, from Proto-Indo-European plh₂m-, from Proto-Indo-European pelh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.
facepalm (English): A gesture of bringing one or both palms to the...
Definitions
- A gesture of bringing one or both palms to the...
Ancestry of “facepalm”, step by step
facepalm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Palm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Palm | Alternative letter-case form of palm |
| 2 | Middle English | palme | palm |
| 3 | Old French | palme | palm leaf; Alternative form of paume |
| 4 | Latin | Palma | palm of the hand, hand |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₂meh₂ | palm, hand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plh₂m- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelh₂- | to approach |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |