Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “thumbstick” come from?

thumbstick (English) comes from English thumb, from Middle English þombe, from Old English þūma, from Proto-West Germanic þūmō, from Proto-Germanic þūmô, from Proto-Indo-European tūm-, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.

thumbstick (English): A small joystick that can be operated with the...

Definitions

  1. A small joystick that can be operated with the...

Ancestry of “thumbstick”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthumbThe short thick digit of the hand that for humans...
2Middle Englishþombethumb; thumb-length; big toe
3Old Englishþūmathumb
4Proto-West Germanicþūmōthumb
5Proto-Germanicþūmôthumb
6Proto-Indo-Europeantūm-to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be...
7Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- →