tousle English · revision 1247

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtaʊ.zəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|touselen]], a frequentative of ''-tousen'' “to pull about roughly”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) as in ''totousen''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It is related to East Frisian ''tūsen'' and German ''zausen'' “to tug, dishevel”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and perhaps to [[tease]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To pull about roughly; to handle rudely (before 1440).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Etymonline notes that it was used especially of boys plaguing or romping with girls.^(Etymonline) The noun meant a struggle or tussle in Scots (1788)^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) and a tousled mass of hair from 1880.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1300 – ''-tousen'', to handle roughly.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1440 – to pull about, dishevel.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1788 – noun, a tussle, in Scots.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1880 – noun, a tousled mass of hair.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make untidy; to [[dishevel]] or rumple, especially hair.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To handle roughly.^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A tousled mass, as of hair.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[touse]]

+ * [[tussle]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Wiktionary notes that /ˈtaʊ.zəl/ is the standard pronunciation, with /ˈtaʊ.səl/ a secondary variant.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}