Where does “teensy” come from?
teensy (English) comes from English teeny, from English tiny, from Middle English tine, from Middle English tinde, from Old English tind, from Proto-West Germanic *tind, from Proto-Germanic tindaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts — to eat.
teensy (English): tiny
Definitions
- tiny
Ancestry of “teensy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | teeny | Very small; tiny; fretful; peevish; cross |
| 2 | English | tiny | Very small; A small child; an infant; Anything... |
| 3 | Middle English | tine | Alternative form of þin |
| 4 | Middle English | tinde | — |
| 5 | Old English | tind | a point or prong on a weapon or implement; a tine |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *tind | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tindaz | tooth; cog; peg; tine; nail; spike; prong; peak;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃dónts | tooth |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ed- | to eat |