Where does “tittle-tattler” come from?
tittle-tattler (English) comes from English ER, from Turkish er, from Ottoman Turkish ایر, from Old Anatolian Turkish ایر, from Proto-Turkic ēder — saddle.
tittle-tattler (English): An idle gossip
Definitions
- An idle gossip
Ancestry of “tittle-tattler”, step by step
tittle-tattler traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ER
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ER | The statistic "Earned Run"; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Turkish | er | early; brave; man, male |
| 3 | Ottoman Turkish | ایر | saddle, a seat for a rider placed on the back of a horse or other animal |
| 4 | Old Anatolian Turkish | ایر | early, at a time in advance of the usual or expected event |
| 5 | Proto-Turkic | ēder | saddle |
via English tittle-tattle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tittle-tattle | petty, idle gossip; An idle, trifling talker; a... |
| 2 | English | tattle | To chatter; to gossip; "Often said of children":... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | tatelen | — |