Where does “chic” come from?
chic (Dutch) comes from French chic, from German Schick, from Middle High German schicken, from Middle High German geschehen, from Old High German giskehan, from Proto-West Germanic *skehan, from Proto-Germanic skehaną, from Proto-Indo-European sḱek-.
chic (Dutch): chic, elegant
Ancestry of “chic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | chic | elegant; considerate; elegance |
| 2 | German | Schick | chic |
| 3 | Middle High German | schicken | to outfit oneself, fit in, arrange appropriately |
| 4 | Middle High German | geschehen | to happen, rush |
| 5 | Old High German | giskehan | to happen |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *skehan | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skehaną | to jump; spring up; to emerge; come up; happen |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱek- | — |