totter etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English toteren, totren, from Anglo-Norman toteren, troter, from Old French trotiner, troter, from Frankish *trudon, from Proto-Germanic *trudanan (source also of English tread, treadle, German treten "to tread").

Meaning:

• To move unsteadily, as if about to fall or collapse.
• To be in a precarious or unstable state.

Origin:

The word "totter" ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic root *trudan-, meaning "to tread" or "to push." This root is also the origin of the English words "tread," "treadle," and "trudgeon." The Old French word "trotiner," from which "totter" is descended, originally meant "to trot." However, over time, it came to be used to describe any kind of unsteady or awkward movement.

totter relate terms

• dodder

  Etymology Dodder derives from Old English doddre meaning trembling or quivering

• totter

  Etymology Middle English toteren totren from Anglo Norman toteren troter from Old F

• patter

  Etymology The word pattern is derived from the Middle English patron which in turn

• dither

  Etymology The word dither comes from the Old English word dyderian meaning to tremb

• diddle

  Etymology The word diddle is believed to have originated in the 17th century as a redu

• dandle

  Etymology Middle English dandlen probably from Old French dandiner to dandle fondl

• toddle

  Etymology The word toddle comes from the Middle English word toden meaning to walk

• hatter

  Etymology The word hatter comes from the Middle English word hattere which in turn c

• batter

  Etymology From Middle English batere from Anglo Norman French battere from Late L

• clatter

  Etymology Old English claterian meaning to rattle clatter Imitative onomatopoeia

• totter

  Etymology Middle English toteren totren from Anglo Norman toteren troter from Old F

• paddle

  Etymology The word paddle has multiple origins Middle English padell Referring t

• labefaction

  Etymology labe Latin to cause to fall or slip faction Latin a making or doing

• vague

  Etymology Origin of the Word The word vague is derived from the Latin word vagus m

• wince

  Etymology The word wince comes from the Middle English word winchen which is a vari

• diddle

  Etymology The word diddle is believed to have originated in the 17th century as a redu

• wink

  Etymology The word wink is derived from the Old English word wincian which means to

• move

  Etymology The word move is derived from the Middle English muven which in turn came

• see saw

  Etymology The word seesaw is derived from two distinct sources See An archaic v

• walk

  Etymology The word walk derives from the Proto Germanic word walkaną meaning to roll