Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wingnuttery” come from?

wingnuttery (English) comes from English wingnut, from English wing nut, from English wing, from English woman, from Middle English womman, from Old English wīfmann, from Old English mann, from Proto-West Germanic mann — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

wingnuttery (English): craziness; lunacy

Definitions

  1. craziness; lunacy

Ancestry of “wingnuttery”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwingnutA deciduous tree of the genus Pterocarya native...
2Englishwing nutA nut with wing-like projections to provide...
3EnglishwingAn appendage of an animal's body that enables it...
4EnglishwomanAn adult female human; All female humans...
5Middle EnglishwommanAn female adult person; a woman; The female sex...
6Old Englishwīfmannwoman; female servant; woman
7Old Englishmannperson; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult...
8Proto-West Germanicmannperson, human
9Proto-Germanic*mann-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European men- →