Where does “tops” come from?
Top comes from Middle English toppe, Old English top, Proto-Germanic tuppaz, and Proto-Indo-European dumb-, with the original sense referring to a protruding point or knob.
tops (English): At the very most; as a maximum; Great; excellent;...
Definitions
- At the very most; as a maximum; Great; excellent;...
Ancestry of “tops”, 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,... |