1
Stage 1 of 4
testa
Latin · ancient
"an earthen pot; head"
originally an earthenware pot or jug; a humorous Vulgar Latin shift gave it the sense of 'head'
2
Stage 2 of 4
teste
Old French · medieval
"head"
kept the sense of head
3
Stage 3 of 4
tete-a-tete
French · 1690s
"a private, face-to-face meeting"
literally 'head-to-head', a phrase for a private, face-to-face meeting
4
Stage 4 of 4
tete-a-tete
English · 1690s
"a private conversation between two people"
borrowed whole for an intimate two-person conversation
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