Where does “topsy-turviness” come from?
topsy-turviness (English) comes from English topsy-turvy, from English tops, 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,...
topsy-turviness (English): The state or condition of being topsy-turvy,...
Definitions
- The state or condition of being topsy-turvy,...
Ancestry of “topsy-turviness”, step by step
topsy-turviness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English topsy-turvy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | topsy-turvy | Backwards or upside down; also, having been... |
| 2 | English | tops | At the very most; as a maximum; Great; excellent;... |
| 3 | English | top | The highest or uppermost part of something; A... |
| 4 | Middle English | top | The summit or top of something, especially a... |
| 5 | Old English | topp | top, summit (of something) |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *topp | top, summit, crest |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tuppaz | tuft, plait; top, summit |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dumb- | tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,... |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |