Where does “toothbrush” come from?
Toothbrush combines English tooth from Old English tōþ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts meaning tooth, and brush from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥stís meaning bristle or hair.
toothbrush (English): A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the...
Definitions
- A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the...
Ancestry of “toothbrush”, step by step
toothbrush traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Brush
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Brush | An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including cleaning, painting, and arranging hair |
| 2 | Middle English | brusshe | — |
| 3 | Old French | broisse | — |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | brustia | — |
| 5 | Icelandic | bursti | brush |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burstiz | bristle |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bʰurstís | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥s-tí-s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰers- | top, tip, point |