top (English)

Where does "top" come from?

The English word 'top' descends from Middle English 'top', which came from Old English 'topp', meaning the highest part, summit, crest, or tassel[1]. This Old English term continues Proto-West Germanic '*topp', rooted in Proto-Germanic '*tuppaz' with the original meaning of 'braid, pigtail, end'[1][3]. While its ultimate origin remains unknown[1], the Germanic base spread across numerous related languages, shifting from a physical tuft or end toward the general meaning of a summit or highest point.

Open questions

The ultimate origin of Proto-Germanic '*tuppaz' is unknown, with various secondary formations, sound changes, and alternative borrowings proposed by scholars. [1] [4] [6]

Full etymology tree

top (English), 'Situated on the top of something.'
- inherited top (Middle English), 'The summit or top of something, especially a vertical object:'
  - inherited toppe (Middle English), 'alternative form of top'
    - inherited topp (Old English), 'topp, summit (of something)'
      - inherited *topp (Proto-West Germanic), 'top, summit, crest'
        inherited *tuppaz (Proto-Germanic), 'tuft, plait (of hair)'

Ancestors

top (Middle English)
topp (Old English)
*topp (Proto-West Germanic)
*tuppaz (Proto-Germanic)

Cognates and doublets

sòpf (Cimbrian)
top (Danish)
top (Dutch)
toupie (French)
Topp (German)
toppur (Icelandic)
zuffa (Italian)
Zapp (Luxembourgish)
Top (Saterland Frisian)
topp (Swedish)
cöp (Vilamovian)
צאָפּ (Yiddish)

Descendants and derived words

a few roos loose in the top paddock (English)
a kangaroo loose in the top paddock (English)
a roo loose in the top paddock (English)
crazy top downy mildew (English)
kangaroos in the top paddock (English)
top 40 (English)
top-age (English)
top-aged (English)
top antiquark (English)
top-armour (English)
top banana (English)
top billing (English)

Sources

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris