From top (“dominant”) + space (“state of mind”).
A compound of top ‘dominant’ + space ‘state of mind’
Proto-Germanic *tuppaz ‘braid’
Proto-West Germanic *topp ‘top’
Old English topp ‘top’
Middle English top ‘the peak of a mountain or other landform’
English top
Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂- ‘to stretch’
Latin spatium ‘space’
Old French espace ‘space’
Anglo-Norman space
Middle English space
English space
Today it means
noun The psychological state of the dominant or top during sadomasochistic activity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / topspace
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