Where does “toruffle” come from?
toruffle (English) comes from English to, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.
toruffle (English): To ruffle excessively, to the degree of causing something to lose its proper form or shape; ruffle up
Definitions
- To ruffle excessively, to the degree of causing something to lose its proper form or shape; ruffle up
Ancestry of “toruffle”, step by step
toruffle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English to
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | to | A particle used for marking the following verb as... |
| 2 | Middle English | to | toe; to; too |
| 3 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |