Where does “teasel” come from?
teasel (English) comes from Middle English tasel, from Middle English tassel, from Old French tassel, from Late Latin taxellus, from Latin taxillus, from Latin -illus, from Latin -lus, from Proto-Italic -elos — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
teasel (English): Any of several plants of the genus "Dipsacus";...
Definitions
- Any of several plants of the genus "Dipsacus";...
Ancestry of “teasel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tasel | teasel or a similar plant |
| 2 | Middle English | tassel | — |
| 3 | Old French | tassel | tassel (adornment for a garment) |
| 4 | Late Latin | taxellus | — |
| 5 | Latin | taxillus | small cube |
| 6 | Latin | -illus | Used to form adjectives from nouns |
| 7 | Latin | -lus | Alternative form of -ulus; diminutive suffix |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |