Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “toothsome” come from?

Toothsome combines English tooth from Proto-Germanic tanþs and Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- with English some from Proto-Indo-European sem-.

toothsome (English): Delicious; Sexually attractive; Having a pleasing...

Definitions

  1. Delicious; Sexually attractive; Having a pleasing...

Ancestry of “toothsome”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoothA hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth...
2Middle EnglishtothAlternative form of tothe
3Old Englishtōþtooth
4Proto-Germanictanþstooth
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

Words derived from “toothsome”

  • toothsomeness
  • toothsomely
  • untoothsome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- →