Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “totter” come from?

Totter comes from Middle English totren, from Middle English tolteren, from Old English tealtrian, from Proto-Germanic taltrōną, from Proto-Indo-European del-.

totter (English): To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly;...

Definitions

  1. To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly;...

Ancestry of “totter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtotren—
2Middle Englishtolteren—
3Old Englishtealtrianto shake, stagger, be unsteady, be uncertain,...
4Proto-Germanictaltrōną—
5Proto-Germanictaltōnąto sway, dangle, hesitate
6Proto-Indo-Europeandel-to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...

Words derived from “totter”

  • toddler
  • toddle
  • toddlerhood
  • tottery
  • totterer
  • toddlerdom
  • pretoddler
  • toddlerish
  • tottergrass
  • tottersome
  • teeter-totter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European del- →