Where does “topmost” come from?
Topmost comes from Middle English toppe combined with Old English -mest, derived from Proto-Germanic tuppaz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European dumb-.
topmost (English): At or nearest to the top; uppermost; being the...
Definitions
- At or nearest to the top; uppermost; being the...
Ancestry of “topmost”, step by step
| 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,... |