Where does “головоломка” come from?
головоломка (Russian) comes from Russian голова́, from Old East Slavic голова, from Proto-Slavic golvà, from Proto-Balto-Slavic galˀwā́ˀ, from Proto-Indo-European gelH- — naked; head.
головоломка (Russian): puzzle, brain-teaser
Definitions
- puzzle, brain-teaser
Ancestry of “головоломка”, step by step
головоломка traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Russian голова́
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | голова́ | head; mind, brains; head |
| 2 | Old East Slavic | голова | — |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | golvà | head |
| 4 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | galˀwā́ˀ | head |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gelH- | naked; head |
via Russian лома́ть
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | лома́ть | to break, to fracture |