Where does “topsy-turvy” come from?
topsy-turvy (English) comes 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-turvy (English): Backwards or upside down; also, having been...
Definitions
- Backwards or upside down; also, having been...
Ancestry of “topsy-turvy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tops | At the very most; as a maximum; Great; excellent;... |
| 2 | English | top | The highest or uppermost part of something; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | top | The summit or top of something, especially a... |
| 4 | Old English | topp | top, summit (of something) |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *topp | top, summit, crest |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tuppaz | tuft, plait; top, summit |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dumb- | tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,... |