Where does “nallipyssy” come from?
nallipyssy (Finnish) comes from Finnish pyssy, from Old Swedish byssa, from Middle Low German busse, from Old Saxon *buhsa, from Proto-Germanic *buhsā, from Latin buxis, from Latin pyxis, from Ancient Greek πυξίς — box tree; boxwood.
nallipyssy (Finnish): cap gun
Ancestry of “nallipyssy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Finnish | pyssy | gun, handgun |
| 2 | Old Swedish | byssa | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | busse | gun |
| 4 | Old Saxon | *buhsa | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *buhsā | — |
| 6 | Latin | buxis | a box |
| 7 | Latin | pyxis | A small box, for holding medicines or toiletries |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | πυξίς | box made of boxwood, box; tablet made of boxwood;... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | πύξος | box tree; boxwood |