Where does “터무니없다” come from?

터무니없다 (Korean) comes from Korean 없다, from Middle Korean 없다.

터무니없다 (Korean): (to be) absurd, ridiculous, preposterous

Definitions

  1. (to be) absurd, ridiculous, preposterous

Ancestry of “터무니없다”, step by step

터무니없다 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 없다

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean없다to have none; lacking; nonexistent; to die
2Middle Korean없다—

via Korean 터무니

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean터무니ground, cause, reason
Every word from Middle Korean 없다 →Every word from Korean 없다 →