Where does “etiquette” come from?
etiquette (Dutch) comes from French étiquette, from Middle French estiquette, from Old French estechier, from Frankish stikkan, from Proto-Germanic stikaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
etiquette (Dutch): etiquette
Ancestry of “etiquette”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | étiquette | tag, label; etiquette, prescribed behavior |
| 2 | Middle French | estiquette | small pole; small note |
| 3 | Old French | estechier | to attach, stick |
| 4 | Frankish | stikkan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stikaną | to stick; to stab |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teyg- | to be sharp; to sting |