Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “guesstimate” come from?

guesstimate (English) comes from English guess, from Middle English gessen, from Old Danish getse, from Old Norse getsa, from Proto-Germanic gitisōną, from Proto-Germanic getaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰed- — to defecate.

guesstimate (English): An estimate that is hardly any better than a...

Definitions

  1. An estimate that is hardly any better than a...

Ancestry of “guesstimate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishguessTo reach a partly unqualified conclusion; To...
2Middle Englishgessento guess; to suppose
3Old Danishgetse—
4Old Norsegetsa—
5Proto-Germanicgitisōnąto guess
6Proto-Germanicgetanąto attain, acquire, get, receive, hold
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰed-to defecate

Words derived from “guesstimate”

  • guestimate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰed- →