Where does “tomfool” come from?
tomfool (English) comes from English fool, from French fouler, from Middle French fouller, from Old French foler, from Medieval Latin fullo, from Latin fullo, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.
tomfool (English): a silly or stupid person, especially a boy or...
Definitions
- a silly or stupid person, especially a boy or...
Ancestry of “tomfool”, step by step
tomfool traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fool
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fool | A person with poor judgment or little... |
| 2 | French | fouler | to stamp, impress, dent; to mill; to walk on,... |
| 3 | Middle French | fouller | to mistreat |
| 4 | Old French | foler | to destroy; to mistreat |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 6 | Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |