Where does “twitling” come from?
twitling (English) comes from English Ling, from Middle English ling, from Old Norse lyng, from Proto-Germanic lingwą, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰom, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ- — light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,...
twitling (English): A little twit
Definitions
- A little twit
Ancestry of “twitling”, step by step
twitling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |
via English twit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | twit | To reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease; To... |
| 2 | English | A user account belonging to the above service; To... | |
| 3 | Middle English | twitren | — |
| 4 | Old English | twiterian | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | twitwizōną | To twitter; chirp |