Where does “loose-tongued” come from?
loose-tongued (English) comes from English loose, from English lose, from German Nikolaus, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wos — to bark, howl; to be concealed.
loose-tongued (English): Garrulous, gossipy
Definitions
- Garrulous, gossipy
Ancestry of “loose-tongued”, step by step
loose-tongued traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English loose
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | loose | To let loose, to free from restraints; To... |
| 2 | English | lose | To cause to cease to be in one's possession or... |
| 3 | German | Nikolaus | a representation of St. Nicholas; the day of 6th... |
| 4 | Latin | Nīcolāus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |
via English tongue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tongue | The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is... |
| 2 | Middle English | tung | tongue; A tongue-shaped thing; language, speech,... |
| 3 | Old English | tung | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | tungā | tongue; speech, language |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tungǭ | tongue; speech, language |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s | tongue |