Where does “topsawyer” come from?
topsawyer (English) comes from English top, from Middle English top, from Old English topp, from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic tuppaz, from Proto-Indo-European dumb- — tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,...
topsawyer (English): A sawyer holding the upper handle of a pit saw and standing in the upper position above the saw pit
Definitions
- A sawyer holding the upper handle of a pit saw and standing in the upper position above the saw pit
Ancestry of “topsawyer”, step by step
topsawyer traces back through two 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,... |