Where does “a la xanxè” come from?
a la xanxè (Maltese) comes from French recherché, from French rechercher, from Old French recerchier, from Old French re-, from Latin rĕ-, from Latin prōdūcō, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro- — passed , crossed.
a la xanxè (Maltese): nonchalantly, carelessly
Definitions
- nonchalantly, carelessly
Ancestry of “a la xanxè”, step by step
a la xanxè traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French recherché
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | recherché | past participle of rechercher; sought-after |
| 2 | French | rechercher | to search for, to look for; to search again, to... |
| 3 | Old French | recerchier | to search; to look for |
| 4 | Old French | re- | re- again; once more |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |