Where does “gå på tå” come from?
gå på tå (Swedish) comes from Swedish tå, from Swedish taga, from Old Swedish taka, from Old Norse taka, from Proto-Germanic tēkaną, from Proto-Indo-European deh₁g- — to touch.
gå på tå (Swedish): to tiptoe
Definitions
- to tiptoe
Ancestry of “gå på tå”, step by step
gå på tå traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish tå
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | tå | toe; a body part |
| 2 | Swedish | taga | Dated form of ta |
| 3 | Old Swedish | taka | to touch, reach; to grasp, seize; to take, bring |
| 4 | Old Norse | taka | to take; taking, capture; taking, seizing |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tēkaną | to touch; to grasp |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₁g- | to touch |
via Swedish gå
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | gå | go, walk, stroll; go, leave; go; to be given or... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | gā | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | gá | barking; attention; to heed |
| 4 | Old Norse | geyja | to bark |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *gawjaną | to bark |
via Swedish på
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | på | on, on top of; touching from above; on, against,... |