tum·ble·set (t m b l-s t )n. Lower Southern U.S. See somersault. [Blend of tumble and somerset (alteration of somersaut, variant of somersault).] Regional Note: The Lower Southern word tumbleset for somersault combines tumble with -set, which at first glance seems not to have any relationship to -sault in somersault. However, -set is an old l-less variant of -sault (from Latin saltus, "a leap") that has been an alternative pronunciation throughout the word's history; hence, the variant somerset. Somer- is an alteration of Old French sobre-, from Latin supra, "over." In the word tumbleset, as in a folk etymology, somer-, part of a compound word that no longer bears any meaning for the speakers, has been replaced by tumble, a word that makes more sense in the context. |
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