Where does “tiptoeing” come from?
Tiptoeing derives from English tip, from Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Latin te, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- meaning to show or point.
tiptoeing (English): present participle of tiptoe
Definitions
- present participle of tiptoe
Ancestry of “tiptoeing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tiptoe | The tip of the toe; Standing elevated, on or as... |
| 2 | English | toe | Each of the five digits on the end of the foot;... |
| 3 | Middle English | to | toe; to; too |
| 4 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 5 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |