Where does “tumbleweed” come from?
tumbleweed (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.
tumbleweed (English): Any plant which habitually breaks away from its...
Definitions
- Any plant which habitually breaks away from its...
Ancestry of “tumbleweed”, step by step
tumbleweed 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 |