Where does “tappa andan” come from?

tappa andan (Swedish) comes from Swedish täppa, from Old Norse tapa, from Proto-Germanic tappōną — to tap.

tappa andan (Swedish): to become breathless (e.g. due to getting punched in the stomach, laughing hard, or figuratively from seeing something that stirs strong emotions)

Definitions

  1. to become breathless (e.g. due to getting punched in the stomach, laughing hard, or figuratively from seeing something that stirs strong emotions)

Ancestry of “tappa andan”, step by step

tappa andan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish täppa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishtäppato block or obstruct a passage, "e.g." a leak
2Old Norsetapato lose
3Proto-Germanictappōnąto tap

via Swedish andan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishandan—
Every word from Proto-Germanic tappōną →Every word from Old Norse tapa →Every word from Swedish täppa →