Where does “tèt” come from?
tèt (Haitian Creole) comes from French tête, from Middle French teste, from Old French teste, from Latin testis, from Latin terstis, from Latin trīstis, from Proto-Indo-European tristh₂s, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.
tèt (Haitian Creole): head; reflexive marker
Ancestry of “tèt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | tête | head; header; a bright spark, a quick study |
| 2 | Middle French | teste | head |
| 3 | Old French | teste | head |
| 4 | Latin | testis | witness; one who testifies or attests; testicle |
| 5 | Latin | terstis | — |
| 6 | Latin | trīstis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tristh₂s | a third party standing, after the two parties to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |