Where does “ivory-towered” come from?
ivory-towered (English) comes from English ED, from Japanese エンディング, from English ending, from Middle English ending, from Middle English endyng, from Old English endung, from Old English endian, from Proto-Germanic andijōną — on, onto.
ivory-towered (English): Overly academic, divorced from reality and practical matters
Definitions
- Overly academic, divorced from reality and practical matters
Ancestry of “ivory-towered”, step by step
ivory-towered traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ED
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ED | Initialism of erectile dysfunction; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Japanese | エンディング | ending, especially of a broadcast or performance |
| 3 | English | ending | A termination or conclusion; The last part of... |
| 4 | Middle English | ending | Alternative form of endyng |
| 5 | Middle English | endyng | An ending, termination, or conclusion;... |
| 6 | Old English | endung | ending |
| 7 | Old English | endian | to end, make an end of; to finish, complete; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andijōną | to end, bring to an end, finish |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English ivory tower
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ivory tower | A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations |
| 2 | French | tour d'ivoire | ivory tower |