Where does “jaw-dropper” come from?
jaw-dropper (English) comes from English dropper, from English drop, from Middle English droppen, from Old English dropian, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną — he, she.
jaw-dropper (English): Something causing great awe or surprise; a shocker
Definitions
- Something causing great awe or surprise; a shocker
Ancestry of “jaw-dropper”, step by step
jaw-dropper traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English dropper
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dropper | A utensil for dispensing a single drop of liquid... |
| 2 | English | drop | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to... |
| 3 | Middle English | droppen | To drip; to fall in drops |
| 4 | Old English | dropian | to drop |
| 5 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 6 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English Jaw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Jaw | One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth |
| 2 | Middle English | jowe | jaw, jawbone |
| 3 | Old French | joe | cheek |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | *ga(v)ota | — |
via English jaw-dropping
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | jaw-dropping | Causing great awe or surprise |