Where does “nussy” come from?
nussy (English) comes from English pussy, from English pursy, from Middle English pursyf, from Anglo-Norman porsif, from French poussif, from French pousser, from Latin pulsare, from Latin pulso — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.
nussy (English): The nose (in reference to penetration by a test swab)
Definitions
- The nose (in reference to penetration by a test swab)
Ancestry of “nussy”, step by step
nussy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pussy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pussy | A cat; An affectionate term for a woman or girl,... |
| 2 | English | pursy | Out of breath; short of breath, especially due to... |
| 3 | Middle English | pursyf | asthmatic, pursy |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | porsif | — |
| 5 | French | poussif | wheezy |
| 6 | French | pousser | to push; to urge on, encourage; to grow |
| 7 | Latin | pulsare | present active infinitive of pulsō; second-person... |
| 8 | Latin | pulso | I push, strike, beat, batter, hammer; knock on;... |
| 9 | Latin | pulsus | pulse, impulse, beat, stroke; expelled, kicked... |
| 10 | Latin | pellō | to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel; expel, banish, eject, thrust out |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | pelnō | approach, go to; bring close |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pelh₂- | to approach |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |