Where does “putzhead” come from?
putzhead (English) comes from English putz, 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- — smoke; mist, haze.
putzhead (English): A stupid, foolish, or ineffectual person
Definitions
- A stupid, foolish, or ineffectual person
Ancestry of “putzhead”, step by step
putzhead traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English putz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | putz | Fool, idiot; Jerk; Penis |
| 2 | German | Putz | anything adding to outer comeliness, especially |
| 3 | German | putzen | to clean, especially by rubbing with something... |
| 4 | Middle High German | butze | lump, piece, stump |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | buttaz | cut off; chopped; stumpy; end; piece |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰnós | bottom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English head
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | head | The part of the body of an animal or human which... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |