Where does “tumblebug” come from?
tumblebug (English) comes from English tumble, from Middle English tumblen, from Middle English tumben, from Anglo-Norman toumber, from Old French tumber, from Proto-Germanic tūmōną — to rotate; spin; revolve.
tumblebug (English): A dung beetle
Definitions
- A dung beetle
Ancestry of “tumblebug”, step by step
tumblebug traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tumble
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tumble | A fall, especially end over end; A disorderly... |
| 2 | Middle English | tumblen | to fall over and over again, tumble |
| 3 | Middle English | tumben | to fall, tumble; Alternative form of tomben |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | toumber | to fall |
| 5 | Old French | tumber | to fall |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūmōną | to rotate; spin; revolve |