Where does “totterish” come from?
totterish (English) comes from English ish, from English -ish, from Middle English -ish, from Old English -isċ, from Proto-West Germanic -isk, from Proto-Germanic -iskaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iskos — Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to.
Ancestry of “totterish”, step by step
totterish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |
via English totter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | totter | To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | totren | — |
| 3 | Middle English | tolteren | — |
| 4 | Old English | tealtrian | to shake, stagger, be unsteady, be uncertain,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taltrōną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | taltōną | to sway, dangle, hesitate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | del- | to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,... |