Where does “gobsmacker” come from?
gobsmacker (English) comes from English smacker, from English smack, from Dutch smakken, from Dutch en, from Middle Dutch ende, from Old Dutch endi, from Proto-West Germanic andī, from Proto-Germanic andijaz — on, onto.
gobsmacker (English): Something gobsmacking or astounding
Definitions
- Something gobsmacking or astounding
Ancestry of “gobsmacker”, step by step
gobsmacker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English smacker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smacker | One who smacks or spanks; One who makes a... |
| 2 | English | smack | A distinct flavor, especially if slight; A slight... |
| 3 | Dutch | smakken | to smack, to crash hard; to make noise while... |
| 4 | Dutch | en | and; well, so; plus, and |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | ende | and; end |
| 6 | Old Dutch | endi | end |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | andī | end |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |