Advertisement

Origin and history of testy

testy(adj.)

early 15c., "impetuous, rash, of headstrong courage," an alteration of testif (late 14c.), which is from Anglo-French testif, from Old French testu (Modern French têtu) "stubborn, headstrong, obstinate," literally "heady," from teste "head" (see tete). The ending was uncertain in Middle English, sometimes it is erroneously testis, suggesting a folk-etymology explanation. The meaning "easily irritated by minor matters, irascible" is attested by 1520s. Related: Testily; testiness.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to testy

tete(n.)

1756 as a type of women's tall dressed hair or wig, 1756, from French tête, literally "head," Old French teste "head," from Latin testa, literally "piece of earthenware, tile, potsherd; earthen pot, pitcher, jug; shell of shellfish." In Watkins, etc., this is derived from PIE root *teks- "to weave," also "to fabricate." But de Vaan (2008) writes, "Derivation from the root *tek- 'to build' is unlikely for semantic reasons," and "The word testa is probably a loanword, as words for vessels often are." 

The "head" sense arose in Vulgar Latin, perhaps as a humorous use of the "jug, pot" meaning, or via Late Latin use of testa as "skull," from testa (capitis) "shell (of the head)." Compare German Kopf "head" from the Proto-Germanic root of English cup (n.).

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    bilious
    The meaning "testy, peevish, ill-tempered" (as people afflicted with an excess of bile were believed to be) is attested from...
    cranky
    "cross-tempered, irritable," 1807, from crank (n.) + -y (2). The evolution would be from earlier senses of crank, such as "a twist or fanciful turn of speech" (1590s); "inaccessible hole or crevice" (1560s). Grose's 1787 "Provincial Glossary" has "Cranky. Ailing sickly from the d
    pettish
    1550s, "impetuous," evidently from pet (n.2) in its "proceeding from or pertaining to ill humor" sense, + -ish. Meaning "peevish, easily annoyed" is from 1590s. It has naturally been assoc. with PET sb.1, as being a characteristic habit of a "pet" or indulged and spoiled child;
    edifice
    late 14c., from Old French edifice "building" (12c.), from Latin aedificium "building," from aedificare "to erect a building," from aedis, variant of aedes "temple, sanctuary," usually a single edifice without partitions, also, in the plural, "dwelling house, building," originall
    medicine
    c. 1200, "medical treatment, cure, healing," also (early 14c.) "substance used in treatment of a disease, medicinal potion or plaster," also used figuratively of spiritual remedies, from Old French medecine (Modern French médicine) "medicine, art of healing, cure, treatment, poti
    Geronimo
    cry made in jumping, 1944 among U.S. airborne soldiers, apparently from the story of the Apache leader Geronimo making a daring leap to escape U.S. cavalry pursuers at Medicine Bluffs, Oklahoma (and supposedly shouting his name in defiance as he did). Adopted as battle cry by par
    skinflint
    "miser, one who makes use of contemptible economy to keep money," c. 1700 ("Dictionary of the Canting Crew"), slang ; literally "kind of person who would skin a flint to save or gain something," from skin (v.) + flint. Flay-flint in same sense is from 1670s. Among the 18c. slang
    sweet
    Old English swete, Mercian swoete, "pleasing to the senses, mind or feelings; having a pleasant disposition," from Proto-Germanic *swotja- (source also of Old Saxon swoti, Old Frisian swet, Swedish söt, Danish sød, Middle Dutch soete, Dutch zoet, Old High German swuozi, German sü
    boisterous
    late 15c., boistreous, "rough, coarse," an unexplained alteration of Middle English boistous (c. 1300) "rough, coarse, clumsy, violent," which itself is of unknown origin, perhaps from Anglo-French bustous "rough (road)," itself perhaps from Old French boisteos "curved, lame; une
    earnest
    "serious or grave in speech or action," early 14c., ernest, from Old English eornoste (adj.) "zealous, serious," or from Old English noun eornost "seriousness, serious intent" (surviving only in the phrase in earnest), from Proto-Germanic *er-n-os-ti- (source also of Old Saxon er

    Share testy

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near testy
    Advertisement