Where does “top tier” come from?
top tier (English) comes from English tier, from Middle French tier, from Old French tire, from Latin tyrius, from Latin Tyrus, from Ancient Greek τυρός, from Proto-Hellenic tūrós, from Proto-Indo-European tuh₂-ró-s — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
top tier (English): Belonging to the top tier: elite, prestigious
Definitions
- Belonging to the top tier: elite, prestigious
Ancestry of “top tier”, step by step
top tier traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tier | One who ties; Something that ties; A child's... |
| 2 | Middle French | tier | — |
| 3 | Old French | tire | rank, sequence, order, kind; row; oriental cloth... |
| 4 | Latin | tyrius | Tyrian, of Tyre |
| 5 | Latin | Tyrus | Tyre |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τυρός | cheese |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | tūrós | cheese |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tuh₂-ró-s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |
via English top
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | top | The highest or uppermost part of something; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | top | The summit or top of something, especially a... |
| 3 | Old English | topp | top, summit (of something) |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *topp | top, summit, crest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tuppaz | tuft, plait; top, summit |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dumb- | tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,... |