Where does “toddle” come from?
Toddle comes from Middle English todlen, derived from Old English tealtrian meaning to totter or move unsteadily, from Proto-Germanic taltrōną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European del-.
toddle (English): To walk unsteadily, as a small child does; To...
Definitions
- To walk unsteadily, as a small child does; To...
Ancestry of “toddle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | totter | To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | totren | — |
| 3 | Middle English | tolteren | — |
| 4 | Old English | tealtrian | to shake, stagger, be unsteady, be uncertain,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taltrōną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | taltōną | to sway, dangle, hesitate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | del- | to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,... |