Where does “topsail” come from?
Topsail comes from Middle English topsail, a compound of top and sail referring to a sail set above the lower sail on a ship's mast.
topsail (English): A sail or either of the two sails rigged just...
Definitions
- A sail or either of the two sails rigged just...
Ancestry of “topsail”, step by step
topsail traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
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,... |
via English sail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sail | A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged... |
| 2 | Middle English | saile | Alternative form of assailen |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | seglą | sheet; sail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | siglą | — |
via Middle English topsail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | topsail | — |