Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “teeny-weeny” come from?

teeny-weeny (English) comes from English weeny, from German wiener, from German Wien, from Middle High German Wienne, from Old High German Wienna, from Latin Vedunia, from Proto-Celtic widus, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weydʰh₁- — two.

teeny-weeny (English): Very small; tiny; minuscule

Definitions

  1. Very small; tiny; minuscule

Ancestry of “teeny-weeny”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweenyMinuscule; A wiener, a hot dog; A penis, from the...
2Germanwienerof Vienna
3GermanWienVienna
4Middle High GermanWienne—
5Old High GermanWienna—
6LatinVedunia—
7Proto-Celticwiduswood, trees
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁weydʰh₁-to separate, divide
9Proto-Indo-Europeandwi-two; apart, asunder
10Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ →