toft (n.)
"homestead, plot of land on which a house stands," especially if slightly elevated and exposed; late Old English, from Old Norse topt "homestead," from Proto-Germanic *tumfto (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). Chiefly preserved in place-names. Often understood since Middle English to include an enclosed garden and sometimes including the buildings on the ground, hence legal use, where it often was paired with croft. Related: Toftstead.
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"small piece of enclosed ground for agricultural purposes, a very small farm," especially of those on the western coast and isles of Scotland. Old English croft "enclosed field, small field," of unknown etymology. Germanic and Celtic sources have been proposed.
Crofter "tenant who holds a small field, one who occupies a croft," especially "small farmer on the western coast and islands of Scotland," is by 1762 (from late 13c. as a surname), originally Scottish.
1550s, "little tuft," from Old French touffel, diminutive of touffe (see tuft) with diminutive suffix -et for French -el. Obsolete except in dialect and the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet" (1843), where it has been felt to mean "hassock, footstool." Perhaps there is sense influence from toft (n.) in a specific sense of "green knoll," originally one suitable for a homestead.
LITTLE Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
And made of her knees such display
That the old fashioned spider,
Embarrassed beside her,
Was actually frightened away!
[Life magazine, Oct. 1, 1927]
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "house, household." It represents the usual Indo-European word for "house" (Italian, Spanish casa are from Latin casa "cottage, hut;" Germanic *hus is of obscure origin).
It forms all or part of: Anno Domini; belladonna; condominium; dame; damsel; dan "title of address to members of religious orders;" danger; dangerous; demesne; despot; Dom Perignon; domain; dome; domestic; domesticate; domicile; dominate; domination; dominion; domino; don (n.) "Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese title of respect;" Donna; dungeon; ma'am; madam; madame; mademoiselle; madonna; major-domo; predominant; predominate; timber; toft.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit damah "house;" Avestan demana- "house;" Greek domos "house," despotēs "master, lord;" Latin domus "house," dominus "master of a household;" Armenian tanu-ter "house-lord;" Old Church Slavonic domu, Russian dom "house;" Lithuanian dimstis "enclosed court, property;" Old Norse topt "homestead."
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updated on April 28, 2024
