Where does “shithead” come from?
shithead (English) comes from English shit, from Middle Dutch schite, from Old Dutch skīta, from Old Saxon skiti, from Proto-Germanic skītaz, from Proto-Indo-European sḱeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European sḱēy-, from Proto-Germanic skaidą — to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,...
shithead (English): A stupid or contemptible person; A card game, the...
Definitions
- A stupid or contemptible person; A card game, the...
Ancestry of “shithead”, step by step
shithead traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shit | Solid excretory product evacuated from the... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | schite | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | skīta | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | skiti | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skītaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱeyd- | to shade; to cut off; to part with, separate, cut... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |
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 |