Where does “tommelfingerregel” come from?
tommelfingerregel (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Norwegian Nynorsk tommelfinger, from Norwegian Nynorsk tommel, from Old Norse þumall, from Proto-Germanic þūmilaz, from Proto-Germanic þūmô, from Proto-Indo-European tūm-, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
tommelfingerregel (Norwegian Nynorsk): a rule of thumb
Ancestry of “tommelfingerregel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Nynorsk | tommelfinger | a thumb |
| 2 | Norwegian Nynorsk | tommel | a thumb |
| 3 | Old Norse | þumall | thumb |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þūmilaz | thumb-covering; thumb-sheath |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þūmô | thumb |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tūm- | to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |