Where does “head-scratching” come from?
head-scratching (English) comes from English head, from English -y, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.
head-scratching (English): Confusing, perplexing, puzzling; Confusion
Definitions
- Confusing, perplexing, puzzling; Confusion
Ancestry of “head-scratching”, step by step
head-scratching traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English head
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | head | The part of the body of an animal or human which... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
via English scratching
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scratching | present participle of scratch; The act or sound... |
| 2 | English | scratch | To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially... |
| 3 | Middle English | scracchen | — |