Where does “putz” come from?
putz (English) comes from German Putz, from German putzen, from Middle High German butze, from Proto-Germanic buttaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰnós, from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰmḗn, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
putz (English): Fool, idiot; Jerk; Penis
Definitions
- Fool, idiot; Jerk; Penis
Ancestry of “putz”, step by step
putz traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Putz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Putz | anything adding to outer comeliness, especially |
| 2 | German | putzen | to clean, especially by rubbing with something... |
| 3 | Middle High German | butze | lump, piece, stump |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | buttaz | cut off; chopped; stumpy; end; piece |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰnós | bottom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via Yiddish פּאָץ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yiddish | פּאָץ | penis, dick, cock; idiot, fool, simpleton, putz |
| 2 | Romanian | puță | dicky, wiener, pee-pee, thingy; a small or... |
| 3 | Romanian | pulă | dick, cock; dick, dickhead; nobody |
| 4 | Latin | pulla | nominative feminine singular of pullus;... |
| 5 | Latin | pullus | A young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |