Where does “top-level” come from?

top-level (English) comes from English level, from Middle English level, from Old French livel, from Latin lībella, from Latin lībra, from Ancient Greek ζυγόν, from Proto-Hellenic dzugón, from Proto-Indo-European yugóm — to join, to yoke, to tie together.

top-level (English): Highest; Best; read-eval-print loop

Definitions

  1. Highest; Best; read-eval-print loop

Ancestry of “top-level”, step by step

top-level traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English level

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlevelThe same height at all places; parallel to a flat...
2Middle Englishlevel
3Old Frenchlivel
4LatinlībellaAn as (the tenth part of a denarius)
5Latinlībra
6Ancient Greekζυγόνyoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in...
7Proto-Hellenicdzugónyoke
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyugómyoke
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyewg-to join, to yoke, to tie together

via English top

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtopThe highest or uppermost part of something; A...
2Middle EnglishtopThe summit or top of something, especially a...
3Old Englishtopptop, summit (of something)
4Proto-West Germanic*topptop, summit, crest
5Proto-Germanictuppaztuft, plait; top, summit
6Proto-Indo-Europeandumb-tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yewg-Every word from Proto-Indo-European yugómEvery word from Proto-Hellenic dzugón